


Eternal Ember

by Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Animal Instincts, Bonding, Breeding, Coping Strategies, Developing Relationship, Dragon!Levi, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Sex, M/M, Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Rituals, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Relationship of Convenience, dragon!Levi x phoenix!Eren, immortal creatures, non-verbal communication, phoenix!Eren, snk mythical au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-08-11 23:21:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7911535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house/pseuds/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an increasingly perilous world, tradition is abandoned and age-old instinct overridden in order to survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part one of the phoenix!eren x dragon!levi prompt on tumblr.
> 
> Set back in the day when all kinds of creatures of myth wandered the Earth. Eren is a phoenix, literally the bird, and Levi is an actual fire-breathing dragon. Using their magic, they can switch to humanoid forms which they use to hide from human threats.

Eren sat busy on his perch, the feathers of his tail curled protectively over his clutch of six eggs. It was high enough up the mountainside that the phoenix didn’t have to worry about many predators seeking to make his little ones into a meal, but the predators that did make it this far up the mountain…

He only hoped that none of them paid him any notice.

Currently, the phoenix sat in his humanoid form. Human in shape with little talons at the ends of fingers and toes that could be sheathed away if need be. Eren kept them out now to better clutch at his nest, tutting at the hastily assembled bed of sticks. His skin was a beautiful gold, passable for human in the shade, not so much in the sun, and his flesh was feathered in places. For example, the proud tail that sprouted from the base of his spine in brilliant gold flecked with blues and greens or the smaller feathers that trailed a little ways up his back and sides. His feathers were at their brightest, signalling to both Eren and the world that he was ready to mate. That was part of the reason for taking on a human-like form; he didn’t want to give off any scent that could lure humans or their pesky tracking hounds close to his temporary nest. Better to leave a more human scent lingering, just in case any of the nearby villages sent out hunting parties.

Most humans would kill just to have a few feathers from Eren’s tail. They would do far worse things to get their filthy hands on his clutch and the phoenix would not have that.

And that was why he’d come so far up to escape them.

The chilly mountain air whipped at Eren’s skin and the phoenix shivered but he only huddled down closer in his nest. It was constructed of sticks and woven vines, perched somewhat precariously on the boughs of an old, dying tree that hung off one edge of the mountain. The tree’s roots burrowed into cracks in the stone, taking what nutrients it could from the shallow soil available. It wouldn’t do for a permanent nest but Eren didn’t plan on staying there for long.

He was just waiting for…

A deep, thunderous sound echoed through the mountains, causing Eren to ruffle his feathers in agitation.

That. He was waiting for that.

For most creatures, that noise was a sound of terror. Rarely heard, too.

Dragons, after all, weren’t known for being particularly abrupt. They were stealthy hunters, striking quick and silent other than the heavy beat of their wings. For such huge creatures, stealth should have been difficult. Eren found it best not to ask questions because usually taking the time to think up a query was just enough time to allow yourself to be caught.

It was a dragon that Eren was waiting for. Had been waiting for since he’d sensed that his time to lay was approaching. That had been a week ago and Eren had been forced to lay in the early hours this morning, unable to put it off any longer. The only thing left to do had been to wait for his guardian to arrive and transport him and his clutch to a safer haven.

Only that guardian was late.

Probably hunting or stocking up on food for the winter. Eren scowled at the thought. Food was all very well and good but his eggs wouldn’t last long if they were left exposed to the chilly, late autumn air.

Another deafening bark shook the mountainside. The phoenix readjusted his position in the nest.

For a dragon to be making any sort of noise at all was odd, but Eren knew the purpose of this sound. The short, sharp noise was a call. Dragons had few such sounds and Eren recognised this call as a demand for him to reveal his location, but he remained quiet. The phoenix sat brooding in a sullen silence, eyeing the clouds. After being made to wait so long, Eren saw no point in offering any assistance to the creature currently trying to find him. Instead he waited, knowing that keen eyes and a keener nose would soon track down his location.

Below, the line of clouds swirled. The grey and white barrier swirled ominously, but nothing broke through. It was almost too quiet.

And then Eren heard it. Slow, rhythmic beats. The noise grew steadily louder, always below.

_What are you doing, Levi,_ Eren thought in silence. He narrowed his eyes, the pupils flaring a brilliant gold as he sought the huge form that lurked below the clouds.

And there is was – the barest shadow silhouetted against the fluffy clouds, right before that form surged upwards. The clouds surged with the movement and something dark soared up past Eren, the wind of it ruffling russet hair and vibrant feathers. The phoenix clutched a branch by his nest, holding on and waiting for the tree he was perched in to stop rattling. Eren brought his legs closer together, feeling the press of his eggs under him. Securing the little ovals between tensed calves, the brunet snapped his eyes up to glare at the spiralling shadow that had rocketed past.

“Dammit, Levi!” Eren gave a protesting squawk after the dragon.

The shadowy silhouette gave an answering roar, the sound quieter since the dragon was up so high, and Eren rolled his eyes. As his heart calmed from the surprise he turned worried eyes back down to his nest.

He shifted his tail, peering past the blue, green, and gold of his feathers to check on his eggs while the dragon arced through the sky above.

From above, Levi sounded a cry of greeting and triumph alike. Eren just rolled his eyes again, the orbs flickering back from gold to their usual teal. As the wind settled back to its usual breeze and Eren’s nest was stable once more, those heavy wingbeats returned. Levi, having plummeted back down from the great heights of the greyed dome above, now hovered by the side of the mountain with measured flaps of enormous, leathery wings. Considerate aim directed the gale away from the phoenix and his tree this time, wisely so, and Levi landed with as little impact as he could manage. Huge, black claws dug into the mountainside for purchase and the dragon turned big, colourless eyes on Eren.

Those eyes, entirely white from pupil to iris and more, reminded Eren that this dragon was old, not the cheeky youngster he acted like. While his playfulness was worrying, Eren knew that Levi would not do anything to bring harm to him.

Or his as yet unhatched little ones.

The phoenix was greeted once more in a softer, hissing exhale. The sound escaped on steam hot enough that it made the cold air around them seem to shimmer. Heat washed over the brunet, hot like flame, and Eren almost relaxed at the feeling. Heat was comfort. Eren had missed such temperatures since he’d had to leave the rest of his kin when sticking together had become too perilous. Despite the pleasant warmth from Levi, though, Eren wouldn’t let the oversized reptile escape his reprimand for acting like some hot-headed yearling.

“You took your time.” Eren said in an accusing chirp, preening his feathers back into place.

Armoured lids lowered – white eyes narrowing at the phoenix’s casual use of a human dialect – and Levi gave a disinterested sniff.

It was a habit of Eren’s. After spending years, decades, centuries around humans, even if only to avoid them, Eren had picked up more than a little of their languages. He knew that the dragon didn’t appreciate words, especially human ones, as much as he appreciated actions. Nevertheless, what Eren did next was speak.

“I’m loathed to admit it aloud, but I missed having company.”

Those words did the trick.

A jagged-toothed smile leered at him, a low rumble of amusement escaping on air hot enough to singe leaves from the tree Eren was perched in. The phoenix clucked in protest, worrying over the state of his nest next to a dragon as old as the one that had landed.

But the scales, deepest midnight with a sheen of dark green in the sunlight, were familiar to the brunet. Like a raven’s feathers, the colour was mirrored in smooth scales harder than diamond. Levi had a very distinguishable appearance, in both this form and his humanoid guise. A massive snout nosed at the sticks of Eren’s nest, upsetting the phoenix’s balance, and he gave a cross squawk. Those massive jaws opened, though, and the dragon waited obediently for the phoenix to shuffle off of his clutch and place each speckled oval onto the heat of a waiting tongue.

Levi knew what he was here for. Good.

Eren’s eggs needed somewhere extremely warm to incubate properly. The Phoenix was a rare creature, eagerly hunted by humans the world over. They made their homes in many places, but nesting required very specific conditions. Namely: heat. A phoenix was born in fire just as they passed each life cycle in fire. It was an essential part of the process. Normally the brunet would have sought out a volcano but more and more humans were growing wise to his and his kin’s ways. It was too dangerous to leave a clutch unattended at any site.

Recently, however, Eren had discovered a new solution. A living incubator and also the brunet’s most recent choice in mates.

A dragon. Unpredictable creatures, really, considering that despite all their assumed patterns and behaviours one would still consider cross-species mating habits. It worked, though, and that was all that the phoenix had needed; an alliance with the world’s most feared creature.

And the world’s loneliest.

Eren had chosen well in making this beast his protector. There was no creature better equipped to care for his clutch or more capable of protecting a nest. And the trade-off? An eternity as company. Eren promised monogamy and Levi promised protection. For as long as they continued to live.

Forever sounded like a long, long time.

Eren blinked as the dragon stirred beside him, the eggs having been swallowed down and currently lying safe in Levi’s belly. With a deep rumble, Levi lowered his head to invite the phoenix onto his back. It would be safest for them to travel that way. Without having to worry about the safety of his clutch, the brunet could focus on holding on while they were in the air.

Eren considered shifting into his other form so he could fly alongside Levi. But dragons were much faster than any other creature of the sky and the phoenix did not want to have to slow their journey – more time in the air meant more time spent in danger.

Humans were a remarkably good shot with a bow and arrow.

He wasted no more time, scaling the dragon’s curved neck. Eren dug in his claws enough to keep a steady grip, knowing that Levi wouldn’t mind. His scales were thick. It would take a lot more than a clinging phoenix to bring a dragon any discomfort in this form.

A rustling breath left Levi’s mouth, the heat sizzling in the cold, mountain air, and Eren understood the silent message.

Time to go.

They had lingered long enough. Even this high up, it would only be a matter of time until someone or something spotted an adult dragon out in the open.

Eren gave an acknowledging cluck and nestled down close to the heat of Levi’s scales, flattening his belly against the back of the dragon’s neck. With a last, quick inhale and a blast of hot air, Levi turned to scan below the cloud level. His eyes picked out the skittering shadows of animals and the silhouettes of trees. No humans in sight, though, and no lingering smell to signal that their presence had drifted this way in a while. Good. Knowing this, he launched them off of the mountain. Having scented the air and deemed it safe to fly, Levi beat his wings hard to get them higher up.

Higher was safer, after all, and he had precious cargo on this particular trip.

 

Eren lost himself in the wind that moved around them, whipping his feathers back. It was cold against his skin but Eren needed no other warmth than his own.

He all but relaxed, only tensing to grip on when needed. It was easy enough to read Levi’s movements ahead of time, feeling the muscles beneath him shifting before each dive.

Had Eren known that it was this calming to ride a dragon, he would have converted a long time ago.

The journey was short in time at least. Levi travelled leagues away from the phoenix’s temporary nest, weaving through the air high above the cloud cover. Hidden from any suspicious gazes below, Levi followed his unwavering sense of direction that pulled him towards the mountain range in which his lair was located, tucked away and tunnelled into jagged peaks.

It was a tight squeeze getting through – Levi had only carved out enough space in the rock for himself to fit through, as he had been the largest of his kin to ever live in this particular lair. The rock was smooth, though – polished from the scraping of scales time and time again – so Eren didn’t complain. He tucked himself into the space behind the spines that jutted out from the back of Levi’s head and only his tail feathers trailed against the ceiling.

The light grew less and less until pitch darkness took over. Inside it would be lighter; there were little cracks in the stone that allowed light through from the thinner edges of the mountain and ventilation pockets would help to illuminate the cave itself.

At last they were free of the tunnel and Levi crawled out into the main cave of his lair. Spacious enough for him to stomp around a bit, to be able to enter the lair and turn around safely should anything follow him. But it wasn’t the enormous, echoing cavern that a lot of humans seemed to think. Piles of coins and trinkets littered the floor, heaped into mounds and easily carved through by thick claws. But there was no ocean of wealth, no mountain of booty. This treasure would not make a king out of any human.

A rich man? Sure. It was more than enough to draw fortune-hungry villagers.

Treasure was to a dragon what rugs were to a human – something pretty with which to line the floor.

Eren slid down off of his colossal steed, coins plinking as they shifted under his feet. He started off around the lair, a place that was becoming more and more familiar to him with every trip.

The scent of dragon was heavy in the air and Eren ruffled his feathers. To him, the smell of dragon was one to be feared. All creatures had that hardwired into them, a survival instinct of sorts like the urge to run from wood smoke or to stay away from human villages. Eren bristled at his own wariness, knowing by now that Levi wouldn’t just kill him. He took in slow, deep breaths in the hopes that taking in more of the scent around a calm and clearly unhostile dragon would help to calm his nerves. It was worst in these initial moments; Eren knew that once he had been exposed to Levi’s scent long enough he would be able to calm himself. That was how this always worked.

Maybe one day he would even be able to override the instinct to fear this apex predator? Eren certainly hoped so; it was a pain in the ass being terrified of his own mate at times.

Levi wouldn’t mind his edginess, at least. Eren was always edgy around this place.

The dragon gave Eren as much space as he could, slithering off to the farthest wall of their lair and settling down to wait. It would only be a matter of time before the little brunet warmed to him. Levi was content enough to play the waiting game. His jaws came to rest on the coin-covered floor, tail trailing out behind him, and huge, all-white eyes focused on the uneasy phoenix.

Eren puttered around, breathing deep and listening to the low sounds of Levi’s massive lungs expanding and compressing with each breath the dragon took. Gradually a new smell mingled with the scent of fear – this undeniably sweet – and Eren huffed out a grateful sigh. Levi, like all dragons, was capable of emitting poisonous gusts of breath that were mostly used to cover the areas around lairs in order to either kill prey or make them sluggish. While enough of this air could kill a creature, small amounts only dulled the senses.

Dizzy already, Eren staggered to a nearby pillar of stone before his legs could give out on him. His mind clouded and the phoenix pressed his faced against the cool column of stone to gain his bearings. Across the lair, Levi gave a deep rumble of reassurance. It was dark in the corner where he had taken up residence but Eren could see the glinting whites of his eyes watching in the quiet.

Eren slumped, hearing the clinking of trinkets under his weight, and then the sound of a much larger shifting weight sounded.

Time for Levi to make his move, while the phoenix was more or less incapacitated.

Levi moved slowly, finding the middle of his lair and pausing. No more fumes for now; Eren was well drugged for the moment. The phoenix wouldn’t be going anywhere and, even better, he wouldn’t be able to think straight enough to worry about dragon scent.

Eren blinked sluggish lids, managing to heave himself up. His legs protested, shaking as he got to his feet, and walking would be difficult to do but the brunet managed to stand on his own well enough. He leaned against the stone of the pillar beside him, training his gaze on where Levi had paused.

The dragon made a garbled sound, the muscles of its throat convulsing, and the cave grew warmer with the heat Levi was giving off. It warmed the cold stone and treasure, the heat encouraging Eren to relax.

Across from him, the dragon gave a wet cough. Eren’s eggs were hacked up in a ball of molten stone from the dragon’s belly, left in a misshapen pile atop treasure. Levi would have been swallowing stones and small boulders along the way to get to Eren, knowing that he would need the material to be able to keep his eggs at a higher temperature. Once Levi’s stomach was empty he growled, skin beginning to steam, and crumpled into ash. From the embers a more humanoid form rose, its pale skin littered with the same black-green scales that the dragon before had donned. These scales dappled milky skin in places, along shoulders and trailing up the throat, curling around the sides and hips but leaving the stomach bare.

This form, closer to human than dragon, was one that Eren was infinitely more comfortable with. This form couldn’t swallow him whole at a moment’s notice, nor could it crush him underfoot. Eren was actually taller than the dragon when they took on their human guises and he was in no small way pleased by that.

It was always in this form that they mated. Far easier, this way. The anatomy worked more easily than in their natural forms, with only minor merging of human-animal biology. Eren retained his cloaca, useful in the absence of a human male womb, and Levi...well he was just his usual, mischievous self only without the flaming breath. Thank God the proportions were manageable in this state; Eren didn’t even want to think about trying to coax a dragon’s cock inside his body in either of his forms. Perhaps had Levi been a younger male then it might have been a possibility, but the raven had been alive for so long now that the sheer size of him wouldn’t allow for any mating outside of their humanoid forms.

It was a pain, but at least Eren had been getting more experienced with this other form. It was far easier to avoid being hunted in this form as most creatures recognised human forms as threats. Even humans themselves could be fooled by his appearance if he made up thorough enough lies about circus freak shows or crazed human experimentation. Most were concerned enough to simply leave him be.

Lately, though, the brunet had taken to nesting high above the forests in the crests of rock that crowned the mountain peaks. Humans had a difficult time getting up that high and it was the safest place for the phoenix to birth his clutches and guard them until his dragon returned.

Speaking of which, said dragon was slinking his way over the treasure mounds towards Eren, eyes lighting up like little spheres of molten rock embedded in the raven’s sockets. White teeth, still sharp even in this form, were bared in a smile.

Eren warbled at him, still dizzy, legs shaking.

A low rumble sounded in response as Levi drew nearer. He clicked his tongue, a warning for the phoenix not to run.

Eren lowered his head in respect, biting back any anxious noises that tried to break though.

He would not run. He refused to run.

By the time he blinked back up to look for the raven, Levi was already before him. Eren was greeted with a forceful nuzzle, Levi already working hard to get the phoenix smothered in his scent. Curved claws flexed from their sheaths to trail through proud feathers, leaving secreted oil there for Eren to preen away later. Nothing poisonous this time, just the natural drug that was dragon scent. The brunet clucked, fanning out his feathers at the touch before they settled back down. He was glad that Levi had a hold of him or else he might have fallen over from the vigorous greeting.

Levi nosed at his throat, assessing how able Eren was in his current state. Deeming him useless at doing much more than standing, the dragon improvised.

Strong arms scooped Eren up and Levi carried his prize across countless coins, some almost melting together beneath the scorching kiss of the dragon’s bare feet. His hold was gentle for a creature so strong. It was easy to trust that hold. Levi padded over, heading for a small pit. This was the raven’s goal. In it there were various scattered furs; the one place in his lair that Levi had been sure to specifically cater to his new mate.

Eren’s kin liked to nest. More than like, it was a necessity for them to form attachments to area that they intended to make their home.

This pit would act as Eren’s new nesting site.

It was especially important that the materials there were suitable for creatures of Eren and Levi’s nature. Namely: things that were not particularly flammable.

Hellhound furs lined the shallow pit, providing a thick layer of comfort over the otherwise harsh bed of coins and other treasures. The type of fur was essential as only several creatures in this world have fireproof bodies. The hides and furs of Hellhounds were one such fireproof covering, acting as both comfortable padding and a place where neither phoenix nor dragon had to worry about burning their nest materials away. They were tricky to come by but Levi finally had enough to make the otherwise hard stone of the ground comfortable.

Teal eyes blinked groggily down at the furs and Eren gave an appreciative cluck. He squirmed, eager to inspect the bedding, and Levi nipped at his earlobe fondly, glad that the phoenix was pleased with his efforts.

Eren was set on his feet by the pit and chased into it with biting kisses. His descent was shaky and Eren settled down into the furs quickly before he could collapse. Levi followed after him.

The raven dragged in air through his nose, getting used to the way it felt to be in his current form. His senses were less sharp in this state, still keener than any humans, and it took some adjusting considering that Levi had been in the sky more than he had been land bound these past months. He would get used to the new movement in this body quickly enough. Crawling down, Levi tested the joints in his human limbs while Eren fussed over the bedding.

Given their lack of coverings, Eren half expected one of Levi’s quick, rough matings – possessive and impersonal. The first time around always was. Tenderness came later, after the pair were familiarised with each other again.

The phoenix was surprised when Levi only sidled up alongside him with a near-inaudible purr that Eren could feel through every part of their connected skin. Levi sneaked arms around a lean waist, the tips of claws peeking from their sheaths to knead gently at tanned flesh. A sensation that began like tickling, sharpening to a point just shy of pain. It wasn’t a cruel treatment, more of an affectionate one. Something the phoenix was still growing accustomed to. Levi paid strict attention to Eren during these quiet moments, reading his scent for any traces of distress. He wouldn’t hurt him on purpose. Eren wasn’t sure if the sensation was harsh enough to be irritating or if the action was, in its lack of pretension or feigned gentleness, pleasing. Levi didn’t baby him, didn’t struggle to hold back strength. Instead he trusted Eren to let him know if he was ever going too far. The system was one that worked well between them. As for the kneading, it was a little habit that the dragon had, one of his least vicious ones, that couldn’t be helped. Eren was sure that Levi would have done the very same to his former mate, working scaled fingers almost imperceptibly against the skin to encourage the secretion of scent.

A teensy twinge of discomfort made Eren shift, frowning a little as Levi’s claws dug in a little harder than intended, but he swallowed his warble of protest. The little habit comforted Levi more than he would probably ever admit aloud but Eren could smell the way the dragon relaxed. His hold, while firm, was gentle also. Slow sounds of thunder rumbled in Levi’s throat, so quiet that most could only be felt. Ashen breath tickled Eren’s skin, hot over the pulse beating in his neck where Levi tucked his nose.

They lay in familiar quiet, the hush filled with noises of contentment and the occasional shift of coins here and there throughout the lair.

Basking in their mingling scents, Eren closed his eyes. Slow as the process was, they would make this feel like home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I mentioned it before, but Eren's hair in his human form is made of feathers. Just thought that could be useful for you guys to know.

Eren opened his eyes, blinking away drowsiness, and wondered when exactly he had fallen asleep. The cavern of Levi’s lair was still pleasantly dark, with only flickering daylight and the glow of cooling molten stone to pierce the gloom.

Inhaling, Eren detected heat and the smell of boiling rock. Somewhere across the lair there was the whisper of scale against stone and the shifting of treasure.

Levi was awake and moving, likely having returned to his true form.

The phoenix stretched out his limbs with a quiet, content sound before he sat up. Teal eyes blinked, flickering briefly to gold to see better through the gloom of the cavern. Past vaguely glittering coins that shone dully in the low light sat Levi, once again taking up about a sixth of the cave. His body curled around one edge. Pallid eyes stared at the newest addition to the temporary incubator.

More stone glowed on the floor, bright like summer flowers and open flame, spewed over the cooling first layer. With a rustling inhale through flared nostrils, Levi opened massive jaws and exhaled a spray of fire that scorched the stone to scalding amber.

From his seat in the nest, Eren let out a quiet, pleased warble. Levi had tended to his clutch without even needing a reminder and that held a lot of promise in the phoenix’s eyes.

The sound of his approval reached the dragon’s ears and white eyes bore through the murky light to lock onto groggy teal orbs.

Eren called to him, trilling sweetly. He felt the effects of Levi’s poison still in his system, shuddering at the sensation.

The air seemed to shake with the sound of Levi’s answering growl and the dragon slinked his way across the cave, clawed feet meeting the floor with enough impact for Eren to feel the vibrations of it. Groggy on the after-effects of dragon fumes, Eren flopped onto his side and swatted at the pair of scaly jaws that soon hovered by his head. His fingers slipped on their glossy texture, smooth rather than rough from wear and tear.

Levi was very careful for such a fearsome creature.

A gentle nudge from Levi’s head had the phoenix sprawling with a brief noise of alarm but he recovered quickly, sitting up. Levi shifted one foreleg closer, craning his neck down to nose at Eren’s face. His nuzzling was more roughly received in this form and Eren found himself flat on his back when Levi licked him next.

He blinked, eyes wide from the unexpected action, and gave a brief click of annoyance at the saliva that began to cool on his skin.

“Gross, Levi.”

Levi, unimpressed with Eren’s use of human dialect, only licked at him again. Wet warmth laved up Eren’s front, the forked tip tickling his clavicle. Levi’s tongue was an odd mix of rough and slimy. Eren wasn’t sure that he liked the feeling of it, a little too stimulating for some of the more delicate areas on his body. He bleated out a plea for mercy, rolling onto his stomach to spare pinked nipples and a cock that didn’t know whether to be interested at the attention or to shy away.

Panting in the quiet, Eren supposed that Levi was finally in the mating mood.

Unless this was another of his reckless games, in which case Eren would just have to play along and hope that he wasn’t squished underfoot in the process.

Dragons and their playful tendencies often spelled trouble and bruises.

Eren sighed and accepted his fate as playmate. He focused his magic, let his form change further and lost his vibrant tail display for now. Whether Levi planned to mate him or play with him, the tail would only be a hindrance.

Levi chuffed at him, amused at the phoenix’s exasperation, and hot air fanned over Eren’s back. He turned to glare, shooting an accusatory look over his shoulder, only to squeak in surprised indignation when Levi nosed at his rear. His snout pushed under the brunet’s abdomen from between his legs, half-lifting his lower body off the ground. Eren kicked, scrabbling for some kind of purchase, and shouted back at the dragon in reprimand while Levi gurgled a laugh at him, the sound rough in his beastly throat.

When he was let back down, Eren accepted the posture that Levi left him in – presenting like it was their first courting all over again.

Now _that_ was an interesting time. They’d both been wary, having already agreed that a partnership would be of mutual benefit, and Eren hadn’t been able to let Levi move behind him without keeping an eye on what he was doing.

It was less tense now. Eren got more comfortable on the furs, tucking his forearms under his shoulders for support and curving his spine a little.

The first flick of Levi’s tongue smacked against his rear, well-aimed and dragging up the middle of plump cheeks, rousing them to blush as the mouth of his ass clenched under the impact. He grumbled under his breath at the rough treatment, chirping out a request for Levi to keep himself in check only to receive another wet slap to his rump. The dragon’s playful cheek was not appreciated but Eren only huffed and ducked his head, moving his knees further apart.

Something hot and slick wound its way around one of Eren’s thighs. Levi’s tongue, tasting or leaving behind a surplus of scent? A silent apology, perhaps? The muscle tugged, correcting Eren’s stance to what the dragon preferred. The nerve of it almost made Eren snap back at him but Levi paid attention briefly to the cock that hung between Eren’s legs before he could protest, leaving it hot and heavy and slick by ways of penance for his playfulness before returning to tempting the phoenix to relax.

And Eren huffed out his annoyance and let him. Took deep breaths, willed himself to calm. It wasn’t difficult with the lingering effects of Levi’s poison. He bore with the tickling presence of Levi’s tongue, trying to work its way inside a little too eagerly for his liking.

He couldn’t blame Levi for rushing. It had been…more than a while.

He’s missed the raven too.

Levi deemed him slick enough with a hot exhale of satisfaction, retracting his tongue with one last curl that left Eren reeling for a moment.

He crooned out a sound, beckoning his lover closer, then proceeded to almost have a heart attack when he felt the hot, wet weight of Levi’s cock drape across his back. A stuttered rumble of amusement echoed through the cave; Levi was only teasing, of course he was, but Eren still turned and slapped at Levi’s belly with a curse.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Eren all but growled, eye still wide from the shock.

The dragon only walked over him and Eren scowled when Levi turned and nuzzled him, still chortling.

Eren shoved at the massive snout nosing him with interest.

“Yeah, yeah. Very funny.” He muttered, unable to keep from smiling at least a little. “Brute.”

Levi gave last, barking growl before his body started to crumble again, giving way to ashen dust and his humanoid form. Eren shook himself off, ruffling his tail feathers to dislodge ash, and in the next moment pale hands grabbed at him.

They sprawled sideways, caught by the furs, and Eren bleated into the biting kiss he was met with. Levi crooned against his skin, licking away the hurt in tender lips. Apology for his roughness and whatever discomfort there would be to come – these first couplings after time apart were the most rushed. Apologies accepted through arms wound tight around pale shoulders, fingers tracing the edges of dark scales.

Encouraging licks along Eren’s jaw and neck had him turning, rolling over to scramble into somewhat of a comfortable position for Levi to mount him. His hands had barely found the furs again before Levi was on him, pressing him down. The cool slide of scales wound around one of Eren’s ankles, tugging to adjust the spread of his legs the way Levi wanted. Eren let the raven manoeuvre him how he wanted, getting balanced on his forearms, palms splayed over the furs beneath him. Wet dripped onto his skin, warm and smeared by fingers that dug into bronzed hips to hold him still. Eren stilled, obedient, and waited for the first, slick nudge of Levi’s cock.

He couldn’t help but rut back against it when it came, feeling the viscous wet slide between his cheeks. Levi barked down at him, chiding, claws peeking out to twinge at Eren’s skin in reprimand. Tugged into place, Eren let himself go lax at the first press of the raven’s length against his entrance. The muscles there tensed upon contact, forced to start giving way as Levi pressed his hips closer.

Frustrated with the slow progress, the raven lunged for Eren’s shoulder and sunk in his teeth. Thankfully he did not taste blood. The phoenix jerked below him, crying out in surprise, and he tightened enough almost to force Levi to slip out before his insides gave way and Levi found himself fully seated in Eren’s heat.

He stilled, jaw hanging low in a deep sound not unlike a groan – a low and rolling thunder escaping his throat as his mate’s body welcomed him.

Eren hung his head, shoulders slumped, and eyes wide from the sudden entry. Levi’s transformation lost him the armoured cock of his true form, but kept the smooth scales and ridges that forced Eren open and kept torturous pressure on nerves inside that set the brunet on fire from within.

Waiting for the necessary adjustment, Levi focused on trailing slow, biting kisses along Eren’s sides, up his back. Crooning against Eren’s skin, working affection into him.

And all Eren could do was try not to sway too much, cooing back in response to the low vibrations purred out against his flesh – a cry that Eren had learned to answer.

Levi growled his approval of the sweet albeit dazed response to his call, and drew his hips back. The ridges stretched Eren’s rim as Levi pulled out to the tip, shoving back in and setting a rhythm for them. Shallow thrusts, quick in pace, so as not to trouble Eren’s tender rim. Eren appreciated the slickness Levi had provided, his length naturally wetting up in response to arousal. Smoothing the way for girth that had Eren’s eyes either wide open or rolled back in their sockets, mouth open and panting or howling out at the overload of sensation.

Sometimes Eren wasn’t even sure if he was feeling pleasure or discomfort. Whatever it was, there was too much to process. Levi’s hips pushed into him again and again, sharp-toothed nips trailed along his skin, and Eren felt his eyes flash gold.

Levi’s bites grew harsher, teeth latching onto Eren’s shoulder and holding on. He adjusted, hooking his hips closer to the phoenix beneath him, and Eren choked on a cry. The pressure within him grew, heat erupting low in his belly, as Levi’s ridges assaulted him again and again.

Eren received no pause in pace, no chance to catch his breath. Levi had yet to release his bite, Eren’s shoulder aching under white canines.

He whined, the sound catching in his throat, and his brows pulled together as sweet bliss crashed over him in waves. He reached his peak and shot from his achy length, the relief sweet and tingling. The evidence of his pleasure painted the furs and began steaming away, evaporating without the presence of the womb of one of his kin. No reprieve, though. The loving assault continued, albeit briefly, until Levi came with a growl that made the phoenix shudder. His legs shook as Levi swelled inside of him, thick spurts of seed coating his insides, and Eren slumped down against the furs when his legs refused to hold him any longer. He whimpered, content to lie there while Levi drowned his womb. It had been well worth the time apart.

Even if his ass was already starting to ache.

Levi shifted and released his bite at last, making a low, pleased sound despite Eren’s agitated whimper. He soothed over the tender indents in Eren’s shoulder with a gentle tongue, atoning for the rough affection.

Frowning at the twinging in his body, Eren accepted the apologetic tokens nonetheless.

A lick here, a relaxing squeeze there. Levi kneading even the barest tension out of his mate with pressing knuckles and a warm embrace. And for the most part Eren let himself be relaxed, although every time the raven moved, Eren tensed up all over again in response to the shifting weight still buried in him. It was very distracting.

The phoenix’s concerned clucking was soothed with tender nips and approving hands, the fingers rubbing firmly into Eren’s sides in praise. Eren had received him well and now they only had to play the waiting game, dance around through the usual courting and coupling until Levi’s seed took.

Eren wasn’t too concerned about that. It would take months for any new eggs to form enough for him to lay again; any instincts he would have to worry about for the foreseeable future would revolve around his current clutch. And thus far those were in excellent care thanks to Levi. Despite being a completely different breed of life, Levi took to this style of parenting remarkably well. It probably helped that dragons were also familiar with the laying and care of eggs, so however different Eren’s clutch was it was still a familiar principle. Even dragons could nurture. In fact it seemed like Levi was made for family.

Even an adapted one.

Wrapped around his mate so snugly, it was hard to imagine a life without Levi and his scorching presence. Eren could remember the time he’d spent without him around, the years he hadn’t even known the dragon. They had been stressful years. Constant battles for survival in a world that wanted him caged and fuelling human coin purses.

Times were still hard. Humans were no less eager to hunt down the stranger creatures in this world. Only now Eren had security. He had found safety in the presence of a creature who’s true size dwarfed him.

Levi flicked his tongue at Eren’s nape to get his attention, sensing unease in the phoenix.

He was awfully good at that – reading what Eren was feeling. It would have been annoying, not being able to hide anything, if Levi wasn’t also awfully good at combatting those feelings of unease. He curled his arms tighter around the brunet and tucked his head close, pressing his hips flush against Eren’s backside to get as close as possible. It jostled Eren’s sensitive insides and he whimpered but the proximity was…good.

Wordless comfort passed from the raven into Eren’s skin, silent vibrations thrumming in Levi’s throat. He didn’t bother with spoken words in any language. Levi didn’t talk much at all. Eren often wondered if it was because he went so long without using words, without needing them, that he no longer saw that verbal communication was needed. At least not in any human tongue. All that was necessary to the dragon were the easy signs of Eren’s body language and scent.

Not talking, and by that Eren meant strictly not vocalising in any human language, wasn’t all that bad. Levi more than made up for his lack of gentle words with low, growling purrs that made Eren’s toes curl.

And that was enough. If Eren had something to say, he would say it. Levi understood him – understood human speak – but clearly felt no need to reply outside of his own, simple forms of communication.

Like the purring he was doing now. Levi was settled and ready for sleep, licking lazily at Eren’s nape to lull him to doze as well.

And damn him for being so persuasive.

 

The first thing that Eren took note of when he stirred again was that his rear was sore. That was to be expected, though. The next thing he noticed was that Levi was trying for his attention.

Still curved possessively around him, Levi was butting his head against Eren’s shoulder and making a high-pitched, whining sound. Eren stretched, kicking out one leg, and a scale-dappled thigh shifted over his hip. Another whine, lower this time and shaky in the older male’s throat. Pale hands smoothed over tanned hips, hopeful fingertips massaging the skin there.

But Eren hadn’t eaten for several days in his vigil to protect his nest up on the mountain and he was in no mood to mate again on an empty stomach. This much was communicated through an unruly snap of teeth, Eren turning his head and biting at Levi’s ear. The dragon jerked his head back, baring his teeth at the brunet. Eren only guided his hands away from his hips to rest on his stomach, waiting for Levi to get the message.

When Levi realised what Eren wanted, he let out a complaining yelp. His attempts at persuading the brunet to continue a little longer without food, rutting his swollen arousal against Eren’s rump with a pleading sound.

Eren rolled over enough to aim his unimpressed gaze at all-white eyes, the milky orbs blinking dolefully at him.

“Don’t pull the sad act with me.” Eren chided. He leaned forward to capture Levi’s mouth with his own, giving a purposeful suck on the raven’s tongue before meeting his gaze again. “Your cock can wait.”

The sound Levi made suggested that he disagreed with Eren’s opinion.

“Go.” Eren smacked Levi’s thigh, smirking at the raven’s disgruntled noises. “I’m not going anywhere; I’ll be right here when you get back.”

Levi huffed, put out, and it took a lot of coaxing and encouraging kisses to get the raven to move at last. He moped off to assume his true form, blasting the stone incubating Eren’s clutch before heading for the cave entrance. He stomped over to butt his head against the phoenix’s shoulder before leaving, giving a pleased croon at the tender hands that Eren ran along the underside of his jaws. The sound was much deeper in this form and Eren actually relished the thunderous sound of it, able to feel it where his hands slid over scale.

He watched Levi slither his way out of the cave and into the darkened tunnel that led outside, and Eren was instantly up to stretch. He shook himself off, wincing at a dull throb in his lower back. He could thank Levi for that.

These were aches that Eren was happy to bear.

Alone for the time being, Eren turned a fond gaze to the glowing pile of rock over to one side of the cave. He made his way there over shallow mounds of treasure. Picking his way through trinkets and snatching up coins which he pressed onto the orange mound of rock, gifting his young with wealth.

He held his hands to the warmth of the stone, being mindful not to touch the rock. He wouldn’t want to trigger his cycle of renewal and burst into flames, and Levi would probably be unimpressed if he were to return to a pile of ash and a newborn chick testing its wings.

Or maybe Levi would just laugh at him. Who knew?

Eren knelt by his clutch, well embedded in the stone for now, and murmured to them. Told them stories, knowing that the chicks inside wouldn’t be able to hear him just yet. It helped him bond with his clutch regardless, forming stronger, motherly instincts that he would later use to teach his chicks to fly, hunt, and ultimately survive in this wretched world.

Only this time he would have Levi to help keep his hatchlings safe.

The more Eren considered it, the more beneficial his and Levi’s arrangement seemed. Having a dragon around that didn’t want to eat him was…pretty much the biggest guarantee for his safety that this world could have provided. Levi wasn’t just any dragon; he’d been around for longer than centuries. He’d survived for longer than a hundred lifespans of men. He was strong and, more importantly, wise. Levi knew when and how to fly unseen, even despite his size. He knew to fast when he could, hunting in bulk to stock up on what nourishment his body would need to continue for months of going without.

Now, though, with his first little ones in years to worry about, Eren suspected that the both of them would need to hunt more frequently. That was a duty that could easily be shared, although Eren would need to familiarise himself with this mountain range. Levi could take care of the big kills, bringing back carcases and the like, and Eren could easily forage other foods that would be gentler on young stomachs. For the most part during the early months, Levi’s only hunting concerns would be to cater to himself and his mate. Newly hatched youngsters wouldn’t need all that much meat until they got a taste for the stuff.

Although Eren did wonder about the mix of dragon and phoenix genetics. Dragon hatchlings required far more food than phoenix hatchlings and truth be told neither Eren nor Levi really knew what to expect from their first brood.

Whatever happened, they would be able to handle it. And whatever happened, Eren was eager to greet his young ones.

It would be a few weeks until they were ready to hatch, so long as they were kept in fairly constant heat. Eren hoped that Levi wouldn’t be too grumpy after a month or so of patchy sleeping. He would need to be up every few hours to keep the eggs warm, or else just swallow them again in which case he wouldn’t be able to eat.

The phoenix sighed.

Even with this arrangement, the most ideal thing either of them had experienced in years, life was still unknowable. But Eren would count his blessings. He was alive, despite all of the threats that had come his way throughout his lifetime. And Levi had managed to survive as well. While their species may have been different, they managed to coexist without any major trouble. That in itself was a miracle. A dragon, an apex predator, living with its prey. Mated to its prey. Sometimes the thought made Eren want to laugh until his sides ached and his eyes were teary. None of his kin would believe him if he were to say that he was mated to a dragon. That the world’s most terrible creature had settled down with him. That they fucked on a bi-monthly basis.

Or if they did believe him…what would they think?

Eren didn’t have to guess. He knew that they would shun him, driven by the very same fear that he strived to overcome. One day he would be able to look at Levi and all that he would feel was trust. Not the lingering dread that tried to worm its way to the forefront of his mind.

The feeling was unhelpful to say the least. But he was dealing with it.

One day he would overcome it entirely.

“This, I vow.” Eren all but breathed the words, a promise in the air to himself, to his growing clutch, and to his chosen mate.

The mountain rumbled, stone tremoring under the phoenix slightly, and Eren whipped his head around to look at the entrance to the cave.

The tunnel was but a dark hole in the wall, empty for now. But the slithering of scale against stone told Eren that it wouldn’t be empty for long. And he was right, of course. Moments later he caught sight of the glint of the barest light off of white eyes and he clucked out a greeting to let Levi know that he was, in fact, still in the cave.

Levi rumbled in acknowledgement, stepping out into the cave and exiting the tunnel completely.

Eren got up and trotted over to meet the dragon, ignoring the wary prickle in his skin. He brushed off the feeling, trying not to let his self-directed irritation show. If Levi noticed his edginess then he didn’t let on, simply opening his jaws and releasing the carcass that had been held between massive teeth.

His great tongue curled lazily around white enamel to remove traces of blood while Eren inspected his offering.

A deer carcass.

Eren flicked his eyes up at Levi, giving a nod of thanks and approval, and the dragon let out a pleased hiss of air. Levi made his way back over to check on the eggs while Eren busied himself with stripping away piece of flesh with which he made his meal. He watched Levi as he ate, the dragon treating the rock with flicking flames until the cooled red glow was burning orange again.

Levi nosed at the melting trails that Eren’s gifted coins were running down the sides of the rock pile, sluggish and prettily catching the attention of milky eyes.

The phoenix snickered at him, so easily distracted by pretty trinkets. Levi snuffled, crawling his way back over to where Eren sat only to curl his great form around where the brunet sat eating. Eren blinked up at him, innocently licking remnants of a piece of meat from his fingers. When Levi only gave a rumbling acknowledgement Eren figured he was okay to keep eating. Long claws reached around to tear into the carcass for him, leaving Eren with less work. He thanked Levi with a chirp, switching between bringing pieces of the kill to his mouth and then offering bits to Levi which the dragon accepted with a curling tongue.

Great jaws rested atop folded forelegs by Eren’s side, lazy eyes watching the smaller creature have his fill. For someone who had been adamantly horny before he had left, Levi was behaving himself remarkably well.

For the moment.

Towards the end he started getting cheeky again, darting out with his tongue to tickle Eren’s lower back, curling that tongue around tanned thighs until they were blushing and squirming.

“Stop it.” Eren complained, turning towards the dragon with a blood smeared face only for Levi to lick that away, too. Eren blinked in surprise. “You’re as bad as any youngster that’s just learned to court.”

Levi just licked him again, cleaning away any lingering blood on the phoenix’s face. Eren tutted at him. He didn’t protest, though, to being coaxed into climbing onto the dragon’s snout to be carried back over to their little nest of furs. Levi tipped his head once they reach the pit, letting Eren tumble down into the nest with an amused little huff through his nostrils.

Eren went about preparing himself, wetted fingers working saliva into his opening while Levi shed his true form and shook himself free of clinging ash.

Levi met him face to face this time, attention on drugging Eren with his mouth while the phoenix continued to ready himself. He could feel the press of Levi’s arousal against his skin, dripping in readiness. An encouraging sensation. Eren didn’t question how Levi could condition himself so easily to desire a creature that was not kin – the same had been happening to the phoenix himself. A partnership born of convenience began to turn to fondness, to familiarity. Eren wanted Levi in that moment, wanted him as much as he had ever wanted any of his partners beforehand. Wanted to draw Levi close, open himself up to the dragon and let himself be bred. Wanted to bear his young for countless years to come and maybe, just maybe, they could pull through this age of terror.

Levi pushed at Eren, gently guiding him back until he was lying against the furs. The raven followed after him, moving up Eren’s body to slide the pale skin of his belly against Eren’s. Another silent form of trust – when dragons mated, it was usually done in the air and face to face while in freefall. By presenting their vulnerable undersides to each other, an unspoken trust was formed between partners. Levi brought an element of that ritual into their mating now, hovering over the brunet, lying stomach to stomach.

It was easy to understand the signal and Eren offered his throat to the raven, possessing nothing else that could match the intimacy or the trust that Levi was showing him. There was a long moment of pause and Eren couldn’t open his eyes, afraid of what he might see. He just hoped that Levi understood his meaning.

When the soft press of lips were touched to his neck, right above the pulse point that gave away his fluttering heartbeat, Eren knew that his effort was understood. And appreciated.

Warm hands guided Eren’s fingers away from his opening, the muscles there quivering in anticipation of receiving something more. The sense of urgency was…not less, exactly. Neither male was as frantic in their behaviour but the _need_ in both of them remained. An urge to remain close tugged at Eren from within; the need to bond with his mate was particularly strong. It grew stronger with every coupling.

Addictive. Overwhelming need for affection to receive it and to give it. That urge drove the pair into languid kissing, slow and lazy and learning. Searching for the little things that could draw gasps and pleased moans from the other.

Eren’s weakness was whenever Levi sucked on his tongue, while Levi was easily riled by the playful or passionate nips that Eren would give – teeth tugging at his lower lip, sometimes gentle and other times not. Biting in general was something that Levi seemed to approve of, used to it after being mated to an equally indestructible mate for so long.

Not as indestructible when taking unawares by a mob of stealthy, sword-wielding humans.

Levi’s former mate hadn’t stood a chance, deep in hibernating slumber and without her partner there at the time.

Eren had faced…a similar loss. His hatchlings, barely a few weeks old, had been snatched from their nest while he had gone briefly to search for food. By the time Eren had located the hunters responsible, his little ones were already featherless, headless, and hanging upside down from string. The human world was a cruel place. Whatever being had let the human race become so influential over this world was either foolish, or cruel also.

Levi was licking away Eren’s tears before the phoenix even knew that he was crying.

Hands pulled him closer, the strength of Levi’s embrace almost winding Eren. He didn’t care. Breathing could wait. Eren allowed himself a few, wretched sobs, listening to the thrumming croon that Levi started up. The raven tucked his head by Eren’s shoulder, kissed his way up the column of the brunet’s throat, nuzzled his head. And murmured, in a voice like distant thunder…

_“I swear to you, it will be different this time.”_

And Eren believed him. Had to, or else he may never stop crying.

Eren needed distraction and he took it in the form of Levi’s arousal, unwilling to let his grief get the better of him. They had a clutch growing now, healthy and thriving under both of their care. Time to get started on a new batch.

Out of all the thoughts in Eren’s head, sad and otherwise, there was only one of which he was certain.

He wanted a large family.

And when Levi loved him that evening, slow but purposeful, he promised without words that Eren would have his unspoken wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may write a oneshot for how Eren and Levi met, seeing as it's pretty vague in this fic and it would be cool to explore that scenario. Who knows?
> 
> Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this little adventure. Sorry that it has been so short but I'm just glad I got time to write for it at all, and as always thanks so much for reading! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, as yet, 100% un-beta'd because I've given my beta a shit tonne of stuff in the last few days o_o whoops. But here's your happy family chapter. There's about 97% fluff in this and about 3% of "oh shit".
> 
> P.S. Ryuu is now my favourite, his character really got to me. If that doesn't make sense, it will by the end of this chapter.
> 
> A special thanks to [@papurukakugan](http://papurukakugan.tumblr.com/) and [@raefill](http://raefill.tumblr.com/) from tumblr for helping me out a bit with the names for the precious babies.
> 
> Also someone on anon called ChibiHime mentioned the names "dranixes" and "phigons" for the dragon/phoenix hybrid babies and that's definitely what we're calling them now. Even if the latter looks a bit like pigeons and makes me giggle when I read it.

In the bright hours after dawn had broken, the cave had become restless. Levi had been able to doze until the shifting of coins became too frequent to ignore and finally he stirred.

An armoured eyelid lifted, sluggish in the first moments of consciousness. His eye searched, finally finding a fretting Eren pacing around his clutch. Each egg was free of the hot stone that had encased them all previously and Levi roused himself further at the sight. Eren would have had to dig all of those out himself. He hadn’t even woken Levi to help him.

There could only be one reason for that kind of mind-clouding urgency. It was time.

Sensing that something had changed, Eren whipped his head around, scanning the cave with narrowed eyes. He spotted the difference – an awake Levi. The change in the phoenix was instantaneous. Eren’s eyes lit up, flickering briefly to gold and then back to teal. He darted over so quickly that he almost sprouted wings and fluttered, skidding to a stop amidst the treasure beside Levi’s head. Levi lifted his head to nudge Eren’s form in greeting before settling his jaws atop his forelegs once more.

Eren couldn’t keep still, hands gripping at the spines that protruded from the sides of Levi’s head and tugging while he warbled out a musical string of sounds. Levi watched him lazily, letting go of a long and low rumble.

It was rare to see the phoenix in such high spirits. Listening to the sounds slowly becoming apparent in the cave, it was easy to tell what had Eren so worked up.

The hatchlings were stirring beneath their shells. That was why Eren was so excited. He could hear the clicking of his chicks inside their eggs, all six chirping away from inside and calling for their mother. The tiny calls had Eren dancing his way back over to where the eggs lay in rubble and he turned back only to summon Levi with a pleading chirp of his own.

Heaving a steaming sigh, the dragon pushed himself to his feet and followed after his eager mate. He nosed Eren’s side when he reached him and he made a sound not unlike a purr when Eren turned briefly to rub himself against the dragon’s snout. Levi gave a snort of approval. If Eren’s clucky behaviour was going to be this touchy feely, Levi could easily grow to like it. Turning his gaze on the eggs, their eggs, Levi felt a parental tug of his own.

They had all made it, every last one of their clutch were about to come into the world. Eren could barely contain himself and Levi found that he was quite eager to meet their little ones too.

Not for the first time, Levi wondered what would emerge from the clutch of eggs that were beginning to shake.

He would find out soon. The little lives were struggling to enter the world, clicking for encouragement and receiving it in abundance from an affectionate Eren. He knelt by the steadily twitching eggs, chirping at Levi when cracks appeared in the shells. So close now and Eren was so excited, practically bouncing where he knelt.

The first tiny snouts were visible, pressing out from fractured shells and squeaking for their mother.

Fond fingers brushed away flakes of shell, helping tiny lives feel their first air outside of the protection of the only world they had known up to this point. The first noticeable trait were the eyes; tiny beads of yellow behind leathery lids. And as the shells crumbled completely, releasing squirming lifeforms, it became apparent just how the mix of genes had affected these youngsters.

Their forms were distinctly dragon, tiny lizard-like shapes with miniature wings that tried to stretch and rid themselves of sticky membrane. Levi leaned down to help them, cleaning the squeaking hatchlings while Eren collected the now-empty remnants of shells. The nutrients were recycled a few moments later, crunched and swallowed to go towards Eren’s next clutch.

Now clean, the hatchlings started squeaking in earnest, exploring their new world. Tiny, clawed feet scrabbled against the floor, slipping on coins and scratching at the rubble of their ruined incubator. One found a goblet to crawl into, apparently content with his shiny new home. Another began herding coins into a pile, proceeding to sit atop the pile and spit at any of his broodmates who came too close.

Eren blinked at them, feeling remarkably fond as he watched his brood explore, never wandering too far before they would grow uneasy and head back. They were so small, having emerged from phoenix-sized eggs rather than dragon-sized ones. Eren supposed that was part of the reason why the tiny, dragon-shaped babies were only about the length from the tip of Eren’s middle finger to his wrist. As their skin dried from the bath they had endured earlier, it became apparent that they were covered with a fine, downy fuzz.

Feathered…interesting. Their wings were leathery and incapable of flight for the moment, but Eren suspected that they would sprout a proper coat as they grew. Feathered dragons. There were certainly stranger things. At least they hadn’t been born like a Hydra, sprouting several heads and awful attitudes.

Something scratched at his knee and Eren blinked back into awareness in time to smirk down at a tiny, determined hatchling digging tiny claws into his skin to try and haul itself up onto his lap. After a few moments of watching its determined struggle Eren came to its rescue. He stretched out a hand and hovered it near the hatchling for it to curl its tiny clawed toes around to hang upside down from the new perch. It chirped at him, tilting its head this way and that before gnawing on the end of one of Eren’s fingers. Teething and learning. Eren brought the youngster into his lap and it detached itself from his hand but continued its puzzled examination of its mother’s hand.

A little ways over two of the broodmates were trying to scale the side of their father’s face.

Eren laughed at him, receiving an amused eyeroll in return.

Five minutes later and all of the hatchlings had abandoned their games to clamber over Levi’s jaw. One, the largest, had even made it all the way to the top of his snout and was leaning over the edge to taunt its broodmates. The smallest of the brood had paused about halfway to rest, already panting.

Levi, who had been keeping quite still while his hatchlings played, now took pity on the tired youngster and brought up a foreleg to lift it higher. It made the rest of the journey all by itself, arriving at the top and giving a wearied chirp of triumph before curling up to rest. Its larger sibling bounded over to nudge at it, giving a sniff of disinterest when the runt could not be persuaded to play.

Exhaustion set in and Levi lifted each of the sleepy youngsters down with the wing thumb of his left wing. They let out tired squeaks, heading sluggishly across cold treasure to the warmth of their mother.

Eren scooped them up one by one, attaching their tiny, hooked feet here and there so that he could wander over to the furs. He draped himself over the soft bedding, letting the hatchlings arrange themselves where they wanted. They tumbled from their perches, chirping and climbing wearily before they settled together in a group against Eren’s stomach.

Footsteps thudded against the floor and Levi leaned his head down to nuzzle Eren. He would leave now to hunt for them. The brood would be hungry when they woke up and neither Eren nor Levi had left their cave for the last two weeks.

Now Levi would end their fasting and the hatchlings would have their first meal.

Eren farewelled his mate with a fond sound, one hand running along the side of Levi’s jaw. Then he settled in to rest with his brood. Even this simple nap was an important bonding moment, the hatchlings learning their mother’s scent and forming connections. Mother equals safety.

Although noting that the hatchlings were all asleep already, Eren figured that they had already made that connection.

 

Eren realised a few days later that there was another similarity between the phoenix gene and his youngsters. They had gone from being about twenty centimetres long and being able to curl up and fit in their mother’s palm to the size they would have been had they been born the size of an actual dragon hatchling. It had been three days in total, three lively days, and already the youngsters were sixty centimetres long and trying somewhat unsuccessfully to fly. Their wings still had quite a bit of growing to do before they would be strong enough to lift the hatchlings off the ground.

Levi had been…well, alarmed. The growth rate of the brood was faster than normal but Eren explained that it was probably just another quirk of their mixed genetics. After all, phoenixes had quite a rapid growth rate once they passed a certain age. Adults, when experiencing their cycle of renewal (often caused by untimely accidents) could go from chick to fully fledged phoenix in a matter of hours.

Still it was quite young for such traits to be apparent in these youngsters.

Eren told himself not to worry. If anything, it would be good to have their brood escaping the vulnerability of babyhood as soon as possible. The sooner they reached the stage where they could fly, the sooner they could accompany their parents on hunting trips.

But faster growth meant that discipline had to be strict.

Eren quickly learned that his youngest, the runt of the brood, got picked on during play. It wasn’t an intentional bullying, merely the stronger broodmates acting up against their weaker sibling.

Even fully armed with teeth and claws, the hatchlings quickly learned to obey their mother. Especially when he was storming towards them sporting wings and hair and eyes that were ablaze. He might not have been the huge and imposing figure of their father, but Eren found that his youngsters were quite loyal already. They would push and search for limits but ultimately once momma said enough it meant enough.

 

Weeks passed and Eren and Levi watched their youngsters grow more and more with every day. Soon they were bigger than Eren, standing at two metres tall, two and a half when they stretched their necks to their full height.

Proud little things, they were. Smart, too. They knew their names only hours after Eren decided upon them, although that did not occur until each of the youngsters had shed their downy coats in exchange for their feathers. Beautiful feathers had sprouted all over their bodies in various shades.

Rogan and Talath were the largest of the brood, almost the same size. Rogan just managed to outsize his brother, though, standing a little taller and a little stronger. He had a magnificent covering of golden feathers laced with earthy browns and some fiery orange in places. Talath was almost the opposite, his sky-blue feathers highlighted with crisp whites and deeper blues. They tussled and got into little scuffles quite a lot but both were beginning to understand their roles in their brood. As the larger and stronger of the hatchlings, it was their task to keep an eye on the smaller ones.

Next in line there was Phiala, her feathers a striking cornflower blue lined with brilliant red. She was a very proud creature, even this young. Phiala was always preening, taken unawares by the games of her brothers, the others sprawling into her space to include her in their chases only to be chased away themselves by indignant, snapping teeth. She was the only female in the brood, one in six eggs that had managed to achieve a temperature that differed from the others.

Eren thought this was probably for the best. Who knew how other dragons might react to these little hybrids. Usually it was the female dragon that was the one to fear and Phiala was already a formidable creature even at under a month old. Loving of her broodmates because they were family, but who knew how she would react when she had matured and mating season came around.

God help whoever her mates would be.

Two of the youngsters had quite similar colours in their feathers. Norburdt and Aiden were their names. Their feathers were a lovely mix of gold and teal, quite similar to Eren’s tail display. Seeing the similarities was a comfort to the phoenix. It had been difficult to tell Norburdt and Aiden apart while they were smaller but as they had grown some differences made themselves known. Aiden was smaller than his brother and sleeker. Their colours differed as well, with Norburdt’s feathers having more teal and even some light blue while Aiden’s feathers favoured gold.

And then there was Ryuu. His growth rate was slower than that of his siblings but still faster than normal. The little male was the runt of the brood, lean and quiet. His feathers were a beautiful shade of midnight that reminded Eren of Levi’s scales. When Ryuu’s feathers would catch the light, sometimes a sheen of green could be seen. Sweeter still were the teal feathers that dappled the edges of his wings, peeking out here and there to brighten inky black.

Eren was very fond of Ryuu. He had worried about the runt in the early days after their hatching, concerned when the other hatchlings would pounce on him and initiate rough games. Ryuu had just been so small back then, prone to exhausting himself a lot quicker than his siblings and returning to Eren to sleep or hitch rides about the cave, clinging to Eren’s fingers or wrists while the phoenix wandered about.

If anything it had been a good series of bonding moments.

Ryuu was surprisingly tough for a little guy. He might have been growing a little slower than his siblings, might have remained smaller than them because of that, but he refused to be weak. It had been tricky to begin with while he was building strength. The larger hatchlings would often gang up on him sensing that their smaller brother was not as strong. It had seemed harsh at the time but Ryuu had responded well. He learned that biting back was usually enough to show his siblings that he wasn’t a pushover. Tussling had ceased to be a problem the moment that his siblings realised that he wouldn’t simply roll over and show his belly in surrender at the first sign of a fight.

He was a brave little thing. Far, far tougher than he looked.

And thankfully all of the brood got along well with each other. They played most days, whiling away the time with games of chase and hide and seek, learning the tricks of stealth through having to hide or quietly stalking after a playmate.

Eren was pleased to see them teaching each other, not even aware that their games were so vital.

Speed was something that these youngsters had in abundance. They would race around the cavern, bounding off of walls mid-chase to change direction and using developing wings to glide. Using claws to gain purchase against stone, climbing up to little ledges, bounding about and racing over their father when they had the energy.

Eren wondered where they got the energy.

 

With the accelerated growth rates came enormous appetites. By the time the hatchlings were a month old they were eating like adults, requiring huge amounts of food to aid their rapid growth.

Levi waited, keeping an eye on his youngsters while they played each day in between naps and the meals that he would bring back for them. Their wings were more proportionate now, large on the small, dragon-resembling forms. It seemed too early to be considering the thought of taking these youngsters, barely a month old, out into the world.

Nevertheless, one week later when all of the youngsters in turn had experienced a brief moment of flight, Levi pushed himself to his feet and rumbled for Eren’s attention.

The phoenix had been dozing in their nest, resting after having joined one of the games of tag his young had played that morning. Eren blinked awake now, sitting up with a long yawn and a stretch. He gave a curious, half-awake cluck and Levi responded by tossing his head, aiming the action on the direction of the cave entrance.

It was an area of the cavern that the youngsters had, thus far, been forbidden to go near.

When Eren rose and beckoned his children over, telling them that it was time to go on their very first trip outside, they nearly burst with eagerness.

A quick bark from Levi had their excited chirping quietening as he led the way from the cave, slithering out and making a few rounds of the mountains to ensure that it was safe. He returned shortly afterwards, clinging to the mountainside and craning his head down to peer into the cave opening. His head hung upside down, the sight making his young family chitter in excited surprise. Once it was clear that everything was safe, Eren called his wings into being. In this form they were much bigger and he leapt from the cave entrance and out into the sheer drop below.

Above, his young called to him in surprise.

Eren waved an arm to them in a signal to join him. There was a pregnant pause, an uneasiness in the youngsters. They looked back and forth between each other.

And finally a shape burst free from the cave. It flapped unevenly a few times before gliding down to its mother.

Ryuu banked to the left and circled around Eren, chirping in excitement. His first proper flight. The youngster abandoned his mother for a moment to dip and rush through the air, thrilled by the wind through his feathers. Flying back up took a little more effort but he managed, finding his sister already testing the wind near to a hovering Eren.

Finally the other four took the plunge. And then there they all were…together in the sky. A shadow passed overhead, massive like a passing cloud.

This shadow had wings, though, and smelled of Levi. His massive form landed on the mountainside, claws digging in deep to keep him there while he supervised. Ryuu made his way over, feeling the strain in his wings already but managing to make it to his father’s snout where he landed. He listened to Levi’s approving rumble and closed his eyes, taking a moment to rest.

It was so bright out here. The world was…brilliant. Not just great but brilliant in terms of its vibrancy. There was so much green, a vast and stretching blue in the distance past the sprawling, darker green of…were those the trees that mother had spoken about?

A forest, that’s what vast collections of trees were called, Ryuu recalled and felt proud of himself.

He steadied his breathing, watching his siblings try and master flying. They were all at different levels already. Phiala took to the air like a natural; it was clear that she had been made for the skies. The sky and her feathers shared a similar hue today. She soared as high as she dared, preferring to practice manoeuvring around the edge of the mountain.

Aiden stayed close to Eren, chirping for instruction, and while his intuition wasn’t anything to brag about in that moment his eagerness to learn more than made up for that.

Eren demonstrated the beat of his wings that kept him hovering in the same place, then made Aiden watch the shift in those beats when Eren went to move higher. There was a different sort of strength to the wingbeats that pushed their mother higher and higher. Even Aiden didn’t take long to measure the varying effort he needed to put into each motion to pull him upwards. It was easier once Eren revealed the secret of wind currents.

Seeing the easier glide to their movements sparked something in Ryuu. He wanted to try that too.

Deciding that he was quite rested enough for now, Ryuu stood. He stretched his wings for a moment, then dove off of his father’s snout and let his wings fan out, catching the wind. Gliding was his favourite technique for now. He tucked his wings in suddenly, wondering what would happen, and suddenly diving became Ryuu’s new favourite thing. He pulled up with a jerking stop, wings fanned out to catch the air and halt his descent, and when he blinked around he found approving teal eyes on him.

Heavier wingbeats approached and suddenly Rogan was beside him. He looked particularly magnificent in flight, especially with the sun lighting up his feathers like real gold. Rogan looked like a flame, like that of their mother’s wings when Eren grew particularly irked about something.

They all looked magnificent, so vibrant in the daylight.

Ryuu could imagine a lifetime exploring this spectacular world. He couldn’t wait to live out that lifetime.

 

They practiced flying every day after that. Nothing could keep the youngsters inside for more than a few hours of sleep between sessions to recover from exhaustion or their meals. Once they woke, they implored their parents to rouse as well and join them outside.

Once the youngsters had even ventured out before their parents, only to be hunted back inside by a seething Levi. They were confronted with a trembling mother, shaking from worry unknown to the youngsters, and they hurried to comfort their parent with apologetic nuzzles and questioning clicks. Their initial annoyance at being denied freedom was quashed with worry before it could turn to bitterness and from that moment onwards they learned to be more patient.

Their appetites grew even further, growth and strenuous activities driving their hunger.

Levi taught the youngsters how to hunt for fish in the lake so that they could play their games in the air and dive for food along the way. That way the hunting became a game and not just a task.

And of course it worked like a charm.

Talath was the most proficient fisherman among the youngsters and Levi was only more successful than him because he possessed a larger mouth with which to snatch up his prey. Levi promised that one day, far in the future, Talath would surpass even him.

And the blue-feathered youngster practically shone with the praise, shaking off water from himself. He was one of few of the brood who didn’t mind diving completely into the water. It gave him the excuse to sun himself afterwards or fan out wetted wings and flick droplets from them that would glitter like diamonds in the light.

Some days Levi got the urge to roam, setting off early in the mornings to patrol his land. It had become more frequent for the male to check his territory for threats, scanning from border to border before returning home late in the evenings with food to make up for being away. During those days Eren would take his young down to the forests so that they could practice tricky manoeuvres through the trees. It was important to Eren at least that they do this as much as possible, for at the rate that his children were growing they wouldn’t be able to fit amongst the trees comfortably for long.

Except for Ryuu, perhaps, who was still a little smaller than even the smallest of his other broodmates. The little midnight hatchling decided that he didn’t mind being littler if that meant that he could enjoy the games of the forest for longer. He had become awfully good at catching foxes and even deer by surprising them with stealth and sudden bursts of speed.

Rogan had begun to take on more of a leadership role amongst his broodmates, sort of a pack leader whenever they went out hunting together. He was the strongest among them, capable of bringing down even the toughest prey, killing aggressive boar with ease of practice.

The family was always well-fed.

Often by Rogan’s side were Talath and Phiala, both growing up quite quickly mentally as well. While Norburdt, Aiden, and Ryuu were still very fond of frequent games and spontaneous displays of childishness, Talath and Phiala were beginning to sort out their roles in their little family pack. But they did differ in their maturities. The two males were beginning to practice their first attempts at sparring. Later in life they would use the very same techniques mastered in these little competitions to fight over females.

Sufficed to say, Phiala held no interest for their frequently violent and noisy practice matches. She preferred to go and play mother hen with her other siblings, keeping an eye on them while they splashed about in the lake or recklessly tried to climb the mountains as fast as they could without using their wings. When her brothers grew tired from their flurry of games, they would come and curl up where she had lain to watch them. The same little ritual would carry out while they napped, their sister kept a quiet vigil while her broodmates rested.

It was without a doubt the sweetest thing that Eren had ever witnessed.

His own children dwarfed him by this point. They were still tiny next to their father but Levi had been alive for a hell of a long time. That dragon could dwarf just about anything.

But Eren’s brood were all over ten metres long by now and far too heavy to carry around like the phoenix had once done when they were small and practically helpless. If they had been growing at the usual rate for a regular dragon, they would still fit in Eren’s arms. They would be dependent on their parents’ care and would have barely left the nest.

These little tykes would be adults in no time, Eren thought in shock.

It would likely take a couple of years for them to reach anything close to adult size, even at this rate of growth. Their bodies had a lot of maturing to do, as did their minds. Although they were making great strides.

 

Two months later saw all of the family outside again, as usual. They escaped from the ever confining space of Levi’s lair, the cavern seeming far smaller than it had now that all six of the brood were twelve metres long.

Their rapid growth spurts seemed to be slowing, gradually, and Eren was grateful for it. It gave Levi the time he needed to start carving out a wider home for them inside his mountain lair. He was shifting stone right then, too, melting rock deep in the core of the mountain and transporting it outside while his family frolicked in the clearings somewhere further up the peak.

The brood was engaged in a racing game – fastest fifty laps around the clearing without flying would win. Curiously enough, Ryuu was winning. Being the smaller and therefore lighter of all the siblings, the odds tipped in his favour and he had built up a considerable endurance since hatching. Aiden was close on his heels, though, and eager to take the title of fastest for once. Rogan wasn’t really trying to win, mostly enjoying the run, and the others nipped at him as they blew past, trying to irritate their brother.

He was well immune to their antics by now, and thick-skinned to boot. Rogan only snorted at their attempts, the amused toss of his head teasing them.

Better luck next time.

In the grass by the edge of the clearing, Eren lay on his back with his eyes closed. He was enjoying the sun, listening to the rumbling of Levi working deep in the mountain and the closer thunder of his brood tearing about the clearing. They would come rushing past again and again, sometimes leaping right over him with a passing bark.

He waved idly in response, unmoving and unconcerned. Their reflexes were good. Eren was sure that even if he leapt up into the path of one of the youngsters that they would be able to manoeuvre around him like it was nothing.

Athletic little rascals, they were.

A cloud passed overhead, cooling the air slightly in the absence of the sun. Eren sighed and stretched, considering getting up and checking on Levi’s progress.

A new thunder joined the air and as Eren snapped his eyes open he was glad he hadn’t made the decision to leave for the cave. He let out a shrill whistle, the sound pitching and urgent, and it brought his frozen brood out of their concerned stupor. All of them had been gazing upwards.

Not at a cloud. There wasn’t a single cloud in sight.

What there was, however, was a dragon. The sound of its roar alone told Eren that this creature wasn’t Levi and its size only confirmed that fact. This was a female, big certainly but maybe only half the size that Levi was.

Eren’s youngsters scrambled to him, huddling close to their mother. They were either looking for security or trying to hide him from sight, either way Eren beckoned them to flatten themselves. If they ran now and were spotted, there was every chance that the female would eat them. Crouching, Eren waited until his children had done the same. A snout nudged at his arm, a feathered head pressing under his arm and against his side, and Ryuu’s big eyes, teal like his mother’s, stared up at Eren in worry.

That worry was real. There had never been another dragon passing this way before. They usually went around.

Even without asking, Eren knew why this one had come here. The surrounding lands had humans living there. This was a dragoness. There were only two reasons why she would have made her way here on purpose, for no dragon could mistake the presence of another of their kin. Their noses were too keen for that.

This dragoness was either here to attempt to mate…or…

Eren wasn’t sure if he felt better or worse when he saw them; three forms clinging to the back of their mother and peering over the edge of her wing.

She wasn’t here to mate, then. But she had a brood with her.

And that could make this dragoness infinitely more dangerous.

The mountain shook from within, buffeted with the wind of wingbeats from above, and just as the female started circling to land there was another earth shattering bellow.

The shadow overhead grew darker but this time around Eren felt more relief than fear and he hushed his whining youngsters. A huge, clawed foot planted itself in the ground in front of them, another foot finding purchase halfway up the mountain. Eren and his brood found themselves sheltered under Levi’s belly while he bared his teeth at the sky.

The female above them was a greyish colour. She faltered in her descent at the sudden arrival of a male that outmatched her in both size and temper. Levi put up an affront that was terrifying from the ground where it could hardly be seen and Eren could only imagine how confronting the display must have been when received face to face.

But the dragoness did not leave. No violence was attempted, either, and suddenly Eren understood her plight.

They were here to rest.

After a long and suspicious interrogation on Levi’s part, he allowed the foreign dragoness to land in his territory. She made a shaky descent, clearly exhausted, and settled on the mountainside.

Eren wondered just how far they had come. Had they been running from the humans, just as he had been before he’d met Levi? Where was her mate?

Levi settled in to wait, keeping an eye on the female as she helped her own brood to get down from her back. They flapped somewhat gracelessly down and tumbled into the clearing. They must have been at least four or five years old. These youngsters were bigger than most of Eren’s brood, with the exception of Rogan and maybe Talath. Once again Eren was grateful for his young’s unique ability to mature at a faster rate than normal.

Speaking of his brood, they were growing curious.

Phiala kept asking questions of her father, curious and almost concerned at the appearance of the other youngsters.

_Where are their feathers, papa?_

Levi ushered her back under where he stood, eyeing their company with wariness.

_They’re different, that’s all_ , he told her quietly.

For a while things were relatively peaceful. But of course some form of chaos had to break out sooner or later. It happened in the form of Eren’s children.

They were just too curious. Levi tried to keep them at bay but eventually he gave up trying to stop them from venturing out to meet the dragon young that were slowly exploring the little pond in the clearing by their mother’s wing.

It was Phiala that made the first approach, too curious about these strange looking creatures with no feathers. They were like tiny, scrawny versions of her papa and she had questions for them.

Except they seemed as confused by her as she had been at the sight of them. As it happened, both broods had questions for each other and, once they got past their initial wariness of each other, the queries began. There were a lot of concerns about having feathers and not having feathers, of rituals and games and little things that all turned out to be pretty similar. They were all the same, more or less, once appearances were out of the way.

And then the games began.

Eren fretted, leaning heavily against one of Levi’s forelegs while he watched his family play. At least they seemed to be making friends.

Rogan took to wrestling with the largest of the hatchlings amongst the newcomers while the Talath watched to see if he could pick up any tricks from observing his opponents. Clever little tyke. The rest of the broods seemed content to teach each other little tricks about flying, although it was Eren’s brood who ultimately became the teachers.

Somewhere towards the end of the evening, the largest of the foreign brood thought that it would be an easy fight if he pounced on the runt of the other litter. It was easy enough to single him out, but the moment he pounced the little thing erupted into motion. Seconds later, just as he was regretting his decision, he found himself pounced upon by at least two of the feathered broodmates. He surrendered quickly, surprised to find that all of the strange brood had come to their smaller brother’s defence.

He wasn’t so sure that the little thing had actually needed their help. Just what were these creatures?

 

As nightfall approached, the dragoness rose from her day of slumber. She thanked the still wary Levi for his generosity and gathered her brood, planning to fly under the cover of darkness in order to take a short cut through human territory and make it to the new land that her mate had claimed for them.

Eren found that he held hope in his heart for her. He wished them well, never revealing himself however. His hopes were hoped in silence, for fear that even a dragoness so seemingly kind may not understand his and Levi’s union.

So he waited, as did Levi, for the sounds of her wingbeats to grow distant before moving. The first thing Levi did was nuzzle Eren fiercely and the phoenix was startled to find worry in the other male’s scent. The same treatment was given to their young when all six came bounding over with stories about their new friends.

Eren inhaled the distress-laced relief, the sudden rush of fondness and need in his mate’s scent and he realised that Levi had been just as panicked as Eren had felt. Hearing another of his kin above their mountain, knowing that his family, that his mate, were gathered above…he must have felt the very same panic that Eren had felt when he’d first heard the hounds that had come for his last clutch. Before he’d met Levi. Knowing him now, however, and feeling those familiar sensations plague another creature…Eren wondered when their partnership of convenience had grown into something so much more powerful.

And Eren wondered just how much stronger these feelings would become throughout the eternity that they were faced with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading. There will be a oneshot posted detailing how Eren and Levi met, I'll try to have that done and posted before I have to go back to classes.
> 
> P.S. I figure that these particular hybrids would be Dranixes, and if any young were born that were phoenixes they would have scales instead of feathers and really leathery wings. And they would breath fire. Those would be the Phigons.
> 
> And just because I'm curious, let me know which of the brood was your favourite. Mine is Ryuu cos he's my smol trooper. But Phiala's colour scheme is probably my favourite out of all their feather displays. ^_^


	4. Unlikely Introductions pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited "meeting chapter", which has been split into two parts because it was 16 000 words long o_o
> 
> These first interactions are without a doubt the most that Levi has ever bothered to speak to anyone, both before and after he met Eren.

By the light of the moon and only a few, dying torches, the village looked all but devoid of life. That was good; it was the perfect time for Eren to strike.

Strike was such a human word – sharp, brief, and insinuating violent action. Eren’s intentions were far from violent, despite the fact that no human had ever spared him the same courtesy. They had stolen life from him, so he would steal from them also.

Less severely, though.

Eren strode along, slow and sure of himself, bare feet silent on the dirt that bordered the village. It was a miserably little gathering of huts and houses, built wooden and the perfect victim to Eren’s fire should he choose to take vengeance. But that was not why he had come. Eren was there for more…peaceful reasons. The quiet of the night was reassuring, leaving plenty of time to react and flee should he hear the sound of a stirring villager. Eren’s eyes raked over windows, shuttered against the cold, night air. Rough planks of wood and thatched roofing came together to make humble homes for the little colonies of man, and Eren scowled at the thought that they had such security. Shelter, food, company – all these things were common to a human. Amber eyes held them in bitter regard for that.

But he had not come here to harm the humans. Even if they had not treated his kin in the same way.

Even if they were the reason that he wandered alone now.

Picking his way through the outskirts of a small, human town, Eren frowned at the darkened windows of houses inside of which villagers lay sleeping.

It was one of few times when a human being wasn’t dangerous. Or aggressive. Their hunting hounds all dozed inside with their masters and in this human guise none of the mutts would pick up on his scent – the scent of value. That was something that humans held in great regard. Anything that could be sold for more coin was worth chasing, hunting, killing.

Anything to fuel their pockets with wealth.

Humans were despicable.

In the early hours of the morning, those especially dark hours between midnight and dawn, Eren traipsed through the edges of town. His eyes glowed gold, the light from them shining in the dark. Those brilliant orbs narrowed, the pupils slitting to look for trinkets or small treasures. Despite the bitter taste of sorrow that still lingered from the loss of his last clutch, Eren knew that he could not wallow. It was a dangerous world. All that could be done was to move on.

The quickest way to rid himself of loss was to try for a new clutch. Thus was the way of the world; there was no time for grieving.

Eren flicked his tail feathers through the dust of the road that led into town. The dry dirt in the air would help to mask what little scent he might leave behind in this form. Eren eyed the little paths that broke away from the outskirts, trying to tempt him to explore further in, but he would not venture there. He had learned his lesson when it came to avoiding humans. It was dangerous enough just coming this close.

You couldn’t run far enough to be free of humans, in Eren’s opinion.

If only he could soar in the skies forever, without ever needing to come down for food or rest or companionship. If only he could make the clouds his companions and share stories of what went on far, far below.

But that was a lonely road, lonelier than Eren was willing to put up with, and ultimately an impossible dream.

So he paced and searched, eyes scanning for glints of precious metals or other bits of colour that might catch his gaze. All that Eren needed were a few bits and pieces with which to line his next nest and hopefully attract a new mate.

A fresh start was all he needed. Somewhere far away from here.

Silent as a whisper, Eren crept around the borders of the town, peeking into stores and tents where the markets were set up. There were items of clothing, scarves and shirts and shawls all hanging inside the closed-flaps of the tents. Nothing really stood out. Unfortunately humans were very fond of their coins; it was nearly impossible to get them to part with the trinkets. Frustrated, Eren left the village a half hour later with only a few pieces of coloured cord and some simple bracelets. He was feeling spectacularly disappointed with the collection. Eren had hoped for something valuable, something like gold or silver or maybe even some of those polished jewels that the humans liked to adorn themselves with. All of that stuff was kept closer to the humans themselves. It was too big of a risk.

Eren had no choice; he had to move on.

The phoenix made for the mountain paths, taking a short cut through the valley in which he was currently located. With the moon to light his way and eyes capable of piercing the darkness, Eren marched on. He could not shift for a while, lest he leave behind any scent for the human’s hounds to follow. That mistake had been made before and it had cost him so very, very dearly. He would never be so careless of himself again. Never.

Eren walked on. His strides were light, careful, and by morning any tracks he might leave in the dusty road would be eased away by the wind.

No tracks, no scent. Perfect.

The trek was more arduous on foot than it would have been in the air, but Eren endured. As he walked, he appraised his finds. Scowling at the bits and pieces that he had acquired, Eren huffed and set to winding the lengths of cord around one arm, tying a simple knot to keep the stuff in place. It would be a long journey from here to…wherever he would make his new home.

With a sigh, Eren pulled on the bracelets he had managed to acquire. With any luck he would be able to spread the shiny beads through the twigs of his next nest. Hopefully the polished surfaces would at least catch the sun and attract the attention of some passing phoenix.

It was the best that Eren could hope for, and hope was a recent luxury.

 

Two days later, after walking as far as he could make his leg carry him, Eren broke the bracelets up and threaded the beads onto the cord he had stolen. Those cords were then attached to his tail feathers so that the brunet could make the shift back into his true form. His legs were shaking, his pulse quick and heavy through his body. He had to make his shift before exhaustion could set in.

Travelling was much easier to do in the air, especially over long distances. Maybe Eren would even be able to meet up with one of his kin while he was flying?

He hoped so; there was no mistaking a travelling phoenix adorned with human trinkets. It meant only one thing – they were readying themselves to build a nest and go into their courting phase. The display would be irresistible. That was good. Eren didn’t have the patience right then to actively seek out a mate. He just wanted…

He couldn’t dwell on the past.

Onwards and upwards. Literally upwards; Eren headed for the cover of the clouds as quickly as his wings would carry him. No humans would be taking his life that day.

They had taken too much already.

 

It took a full three days of flying later and Eren had reached a territory that he did not know. His wings were tired, his stomach reminding him of how long it had been since he had eaten, but the untamed beauty of this new landscape overrode all of that.

It looked untouched and magnificent.

What was this wondrous anomaly?

There were jagged mountain ranges and plains of green, gorgeous meadows that stretched on and on in a sea of grass. Wind stirred the blades of green, sending rippling patterns through the fields below. Encroaching on those meadows were forests that stretched around the base of the peaks, winding patterns of dark trees and ferns and other pretty foliage. It leant the land a cool, peaceful look. An oasis of peace amidst the calamity of humanity. Trees crept their way up the mountain sides, trailing off around peaks capped in snow. A vast lake stretched across a patch of land, a puddle of reflected blue amidst the endless shades of green.

Could this be paradise? Eren blinked out of his daze; he couldn’t get ahead of himself.

The point was that it was beautiful here. There were few such unspoiled places. From the looks of things, this place was plentiful too. Amber eyes narrowed, scanning the land below. He found darting rabbits shooting from their burrows to nibble on nearby foliage. More still, the shadowy form of a fox trotting below trees, a herd of bounding deer further over. All kinds of life came to Eren’s attention.

And not a single human village in sight.

Could it be…that this was the ideal spot that Eren had been looking for?

He dared to hope.

For a moment Eren’s mind wandered and he allowed his thoughts to drift towards pleasant visions of a peaceful ridge. A nest, spacious enough for him to fit in comfortably alongside however many eggs he would manage to lay. A struggle, taxing on his body, to create enough heat to bring his next clutch to hatch, and the joy of raising his chicks in this bountiful land.

High in the rugged peaks, safe from most predators – that was where Eren would begin to build.

He circled closer to the mountains as he drew near to them, eyes roaming for a sheltered place beneath the snow caps. He needed height to be able to survey the land and keep an eye out for any human parties that might roam close to this land. Going too high would make it harder on him to safely incubate his next clutch, as phoenix eggs did not take kindly to extreme cold. Plenty of jagged ledges jutted out from the mountainsides, with particularly daring trees choosing to grow near their edges or sometimes even hanging off of them. It was in a place such as this that the phoenix eventually decided to land, picking a spot where there was a nice little trail through two peaks where a river ran.

From there, all that was left was to prepare a good nesting site.

Eren hunted about for sticks and branches, piling them near a nice nook in the stone of the mountain. He would be well shielded from the worst of the wind there, tucked away from the sight of most creatures. Only other birds or the occasional mountain goat might happen upon his nest, and those were not threats that Eren was concerned about. Anything worse, a rogue wolf or mountain lion, could be spooked off with a little fire show. As far as Eren was concerned, he was the biggest threat on this mountain.

Weaving sticks and bendy twigs together around tougher, larger branches took up most of Eren’s morning. The last of the morning hours were spent organising moss around the insides of the expertly built nest. By the time Eren was done patting the soft, green fuzz into place the sun was high in the sky, caressing his skin with blazing kisses that the phoenix relished. He was well pleased to find that, despite the height and the chilly wind that stirred the air occasionally, the sun was still hot enough to make the mountains liveable.

Below him the mirthful babbling of the river sounded, singing up to Eren like it was personally trying to wash away his sadness.

Eren appreciated its efforts. Its music soothed him through his work, hands happy enough with their task of weaving more and more sticks together. He added twisting vines to bind everything in place and took a moment to sit back in the sun and appreciate his work. His fingers splayed in the grass beneath him.

It had been half a day of hard work that had paid off. The nest left behind was one that Eren could take pride in, and any mate he might find would be impressed with the intricate effort.

Eren was proud of the neat eyrie that he’d constructed. It was nestled into a gap against a sheer cliff face halfway up one of the mountains. There was a fallen log in front of the nest now, hauled there by Eren and further shielding it from the wind. Hopefully shielding it from any unsavoury creatures that might pass by, too. There were about twenty metres or so of jagged ledge that jutted out from the mountain and it was upon this that Eren’s nest had been built. Only about three trees actually grew on the ledge itself. There were more trees stretching towards the sky, clinging on at odd spots up the mountainside. He would have both shade and sun at ideal times of the day, and shelter from the wind.

It was a delightful spot. Eren almost felt renewed.

Now all he had to do was play the waiting game. In a land as bountiful as this one, another phoenix was bound to fly by sooner or later.

 

A few days later and still no luck, but Eren was surprised to find that he wasn’t frustrated. It was too peaceful here to be frustrated. He sampled the nights, pleased with the temperature and the diamond strewn sky – glitter against midnight blue.

In some ways Eren didn’t mind waiting. It allowed him to settle, to get his scent well embedded in the twigs and moss of his nest.

Not a single sighting of another phoenix, though. No matter – Eren would be patient.

He had spent his time there getting rested and filling his belly on wild berries and careless rabbits. After going without food for a while, it was good to feel full again. Good to feel healthy again. No more gnawing hunger. Eren’s body was happy to have the extra nourishment, obviously preparing for him to begin courting. His skin was growing more sensitive, his insides readying for mating. With such a plentiful land Eren had all he might need to produce a new clutch of eggs. He just needed some help. Another half. A mate.

Soon, Eren promised himself. And in the meantime he would continue to gorge on the abundant wild berries. Maybe he would even hunt for some of the smaller, scavenging animals around. It would be necessary if he planned to fast until his clutch was laid, his chicks hatched, and old enough to accompany him on hunting trips.

He would never leave his family on their own again.

It would be a long and tiresome vigil but Eren was willing to last it out. He might even convince his new mate, when one arrived, to stick around and bring him food. Then, together, they could keep up enough heat to successfully hatch their eggs.

Amazingly, Eren felt a stirring in his belly again after so much time dwelling on the thought of food. He emerged from his nest, surprised by just how demanding his body was becoming. Now that he knew there was plenty of food to be had, his body called for more sustenance. Eren supposed it wasn’t that big of an inconvenience. He would much rather have to go on regular hunts than have to be sparing with his energy between sparse meals.

Eren changed forms, spreading brilliant feathers. He ruffled them, preening briefly until gold and teal feathers were in better order, and then took off. He was in the mood to chase field mice.

 

A grazing deer set him off, of all things. Just a creature of the forest minding its own business; Eren might not have even noticed if he hadn’t looked down at just the right moment as he’d flown overhead.

Taking excited leaps around their mother, a pair of fawns played.

Eren didn’t remember landing. The sun was much lower in the sky by the time he blinked himself back into awareness and out of the thick fog of memory. He’d watched them for hours, wandering about the edge of the trees – two tiny creatures that pranced and bounded on clumsy legs. Their lives were nothing but play and food and mother’s safety. It was one of the sweetest sights Eren had seen in a long time, and he allowed himself to dwell on memories.

Little, downy chicks making their first chirps outside of shells, spilled out into a warm nest. Tiring themselves of exploring the nest only to scale the boundaries and begin marvelling at how big the rest of the world actually was outside of the safety of the little home Eren had woven for them. Hungry squeaks. Tiny balls of warmth against Eren each night, keeping him company while he slept.

Memories that made the nights seem all the more empty. Lonely.

Loss wasn’t his sole burden and Eren knew that. That knowledge did not make the sting any less acute.

There would be new chicks, new memories. Eren needed to work harder, to make his nest even better, so that there was no chance that a passing phoenix could help themselves from flying lower for a closer look.

There was work to be done, in that case.

Without something of real value to gift to his nest, Eren feared that he would never tempt another of his kind from the sky. He hadn’t so much as seen another phoenix around. It was more disheartening than Eren could bear to admit to himself.

A quest for better materials would need to begin, and Eren started right away. He scoured the forest, looking for particularly fine twigs to weave into his eyrie. Some worn down stones from a stream were collected, also. Those were pressed into little gaps, their surfaces smooth enough that perhaps they would catch some sunlight.

Eren was out till late, moving back to the mountains to end his trip only once the moon was rising. The route he took was different.

The moment he stumbled upon the dark crevice, he knew what it was.

A dark crack in the rock, pitch black, yawned before him. Eren might not have found it at all had he not almost fallen into it a moment ago. Fear had a hold of him already from the sudden fall, and as he scrambled back up the scent reached him.

He had stumbled across a dragon’s lair.

Eren took off in a panic, not stopping until he had collapsed in his nest. He was shaking, grateful that his flight instincts had kicked in before he could freeze in terror, or worse walk into a layer of poisonous dragon fumes. The phoenix had never met a dragon, but he had discovered the scent of them before. Even if he hadn’t, no creature could mistake it.

Trembling in his nest, Eren forced himself to calm. He couldn’t afford to panic, lest his swelling scent of fear summoned the very threat he had fled from.

And yet…Eren wondered how his head had cleared so quickly. Dragon scent was powerful, so much so that in most cases it was paralysing.

Unless…it was an old scent?

That thought was what led Eren back to that awful hole in the ground. Past the faded scent, a smell that was definitely worn down by age. Years, if Eren was correct. There hadn’t been a dragon around here for years…so Eren couldn’t even imagine what kind of behemoth had dwelt in this place before if he could still smell it now.

He was glad that it wasn’t around.

Creeping inside was harder than Eren thought it would have been, since he could not smell the fresh scent that would have been present had a dragon, awake or sleeping, been waiting for him inside. Moonlight only helped so much to see, and for long, horrifying moments Eren was edging his way along a steep, descending passage in pitch darkness. His first sight and sign of light again was a pale glittering that caught his breath.

Coins. They were everywhere, not nearly as much as the great story of dragon hordes might have made one think. But riches glinted with moonbeams all over the ground up ahead, and Eren felt a fierce hope.

These kinds of trinkets were exactly what he had been looking for to brighten his nest. Gold for his next clutch, to bless their hatching.

Even his excitement couldn’t stop the phoenix from checking every last nook and dark space in the cave for signs of danger. Of hibernating eggs. There was nothing to be found but empty space and strewn wealth. He plucked only a select few pieces from the cave, only a handful of gold coins.

Eren couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Curled up in his nest, with the coins tucked in alongside moss, Eren fell asleep with new hope warm in his chest.

 

It was a harshly cold day. The sky had darkened with thick clouds, smothering even the smallest hope for sun. Sometime around midday, that heavy sky had started dropping tiny, white petals of snow on the chilly earth below.

Despite the chill, Eren had left early to go hunting. He thrilled at the frosty air as he soared, chasing rabbits across white-flecked ground. Time was harder to keep track of without the obvious position of the sun, obscured by the thick cloud cover. Midday was not much warmer, and the snow still fell. Eren headed back to the mountains, going to check on his nest and see if the snow had reached it.

Looking back, Eren wondered how he could have missed it. The signs beforehand, sure. But mostly, he wondered how he had missed the presence that greeted him upon returning to his nesting site.

After several long and pleasant hours of scouring the meadows below for scuttling prey, Eren made his way back. His belly was fully and his instincts demanding nothing more than rest if he didn’t have snow to clear. Maybe his weariness had dulled his senses, or perhaps Eren had just been incredibly unobservant that particular day.

The phoenix had made his way to land along part of the ridge near his nest, stretching out his wings for a moment before he shifted forms. He took up more space in his nest that way and it just felt cosier.

Eren staggered a little, feet tickled by stiff grass and a shock of snow. He was already feeling the urge to close his eyes. Chasing down his food had tired him out, and the brunet’s stomach was well satisfied. Eren wanted nothing more than to sleep.

The brunet looked up, blinking wearily.

He had never become so alert so quickly.

The show blanketed the ground already, just a light dusting of white over the surfaces of everything. There was one place where no snow had managed to land, thus far. That place was Eren’s nest, sheltered from the tiny flecks of white by a massive head. Black scaled, shiny like polished glass, and huge eyes, white marble ovals that stared down at the organised eyrie. Those eyes lacked pupils, or at least any visible ones – the entire surface of the orbs whited out.

Dragon. Eren was surprised to realise that this dragon smelled familiar, and he realised with horror that he knew this beast’s scent. It was the same smell from the cave he had visited.

The beast was back, and it had found him.

Well…not yet it hadn’t. The dragon’s all-white gaze was focused on Eren’s nest for the moment. That hardly mattered, though, because Eren was rooted to the spot. His body ached with how tense he had become, still as a stature in a heartbeat. There was no fighting the dread he felt. An instinctual terror that settled like ice in his chest. Eren wanted to screech, to draw the creature’s attention away from his eyrie, but he couldn’t move. Couldn’t make a sound. Couldn’t budge so much as a finger.

Could only watch the way the dragon tilted its head, as if it were trying to get a better look at the organised collection of woven sticks and twigs. Of the almost forlorn rumble that sounded quietly in its throat.

Like being caught in an old memory, fond but bittersweet.

White eyes were lost to black lids for a moment, and when the beast blinked its eyes open again Eren felt more than saw that it had spotted him. The all-white orbs looked like they hadn’t moved at all, but the dragon’s sudden stillness was no accident.

It was impossible to deny the feeling, the sensation of eyes on him.

He’d been discovered.

Confronted with the penetrating stare of a dragon, Eren stiffened further. His limbs were tight with his panic, sore and desperate to relax. Eren bleated in panic but movement was beyond him. His eyes tracked up the cliff face, spying the clawed toes of one, massive foot digging into the stone. This was not your run of the mill dragon, not some sapling youth that could be outsmarted. Any dragon that got to be this big was old, there was no knowing how old this beast must have been to reach such an enormous size.

And with age came experience. There was nothing Eren could try to pull with this beast that it hadn’t experienced before. Doomed, then. Death by fire, or perhaps crushing jaws? Either way it would be some special level of horrific.

_Make it quick, make it quick, please…_

Eren could feel himself trembling, and not because of the cold.

Strangely enough the beast looked as surprised as Eren felt, only without the spine-tingling terror that no doubt painted Eren’s face.

He had been wrong about one thing at least, then.

Eren was in no way the biggest threat on this mountain. Not anymore.

The eyes were the worst of it, not the teeth or the terrible claws. Those orbs were like cold, white river stones, blinking wetly in Eren’s direction. There was no visual change but Eren felt those eyes shift from surprised to scrutinising, all the while both creatures remained still as death.

Eren held his breath, knowing that at any moment he could be taken unawares by toxic dragon fumes. At this point he might have even welcomed such poison – at least then he would be able to relax the tension in his muscles. But the beast did not seem intent on killing him in the sly and unnoticed way that dragons sometimes did, nor did it attempt to come nearer to snap its jaws closed around him. For that, Eren was grateful. It only made him warier, though. Neither of them moved, caught in an unlikely staring contest that could mean life or death. Eren could feel a cold sweat forming on his skin as dread tingled down his spine and settled low in his gut.

The dragon’s head, black-scaled and enormous, hovered over Eren’s nest; the woven twigs and branches looked puny beneath the set of massive jaws. Jaws that had, at least thus far, remained closed.

There was nothing to be done but stare.

He couldn’t back away. His back was to the rocks already and to do so would only invoke a dragon’s instinct to kill anyway.

Eren’s instincts flared for a moment, a foolish urge to defend his new nesting site, but the brunet acknowledged that this dragon had very probably held the territory for a long time. Far longer than Eren had. And even if it was just passing by, there was no way that he was going to risk angering a dragon.

You didn’t fight dragons. You didn’t run from them, either. All you could do was hope, pray, that they weren’t feeling particularly hungry.

Eren had never prayed harder. Goddess above, don’t let this beast be hungry.

He was numbly aware of polite protocols, the ways in which creatures of the same kind might greet each other to avoid hostility. All species did it at some point. With a phoenix, those unfamiliar with each other often fanned out their feathers partway. Not completely, as that could be taken as a challenge, a disrespectful taunt to fight for something – be it food, a nest, shelter. Around a phoenix ready to lay, it could be an offer to mate.

One always had to be careful with tail fanning.

Dragons were different. Featherless, for the most part – only a select few breeds had feathers and this was not one of them. These creatures were old, ancient even. They had been around for…actually, Eren didn’t know how long dragons had roamed. Longer than his own kind, probably. Asleep in the earth for so long, to rise as all beasts of their nature did. They had their customs, their strictly developed social behaviours. Dragons were a deadly, but respectful breed of beast. At least among their own kind, violence was not appreciated. They did not threaten unless provoked, especially now in troubled times – they could not afford to kill amongst their own kind when humans already outnumbered them so greatly.

Respect, then. Eren could remember a little of draconic greeting protocols. Bits of information that stuck in his memories from the stories his mother once told him and his broodmates when they were still small and energetic, struggling to go to sleep. Tales of fearsome creatures, beasts that he and his siblings may one day face.

Among his favourites, there had been a story of dragons. Two, great beasts who had developed the very first greeting between their kind, and had become the first pair of different breeds of dragon to mate. From their example, others lost their arrogance of pureblood lines, and all of the kinds of dragon that could be found in the world existed because of that first attempt at civility. A great female, one of frost if Eren recalled correctly, and another of night had met atop a towering mountaintop. Unsure of what to do, they poised to attack each other, but each was struck with the other’s beauty. One of them white, and pure, and the other the deepest, midnight blue, with starlight in his eyes. Unable to make themselves destroy each other, they were left at an impasse. Of different family lines, they were unsure of each other, and both stood anxiously still for some time. It became a test of trust, a waiting game to see if either one of them would lose patience and attack, or flee. Neither would fight, but neither would flee. It was the male, smaller out of the two of them, that finally bowed his head. Leaving himself vulnerable, the most foolish move one could make. He waited for her to kill him, shaking for the longest moment in wonder of what he was doing, only to watch in astonishment as a white head ducked to mirror his pose. With nothing more to do, and no tokens to give to her, he plucked a single scale from his back to present as an offering. They left at that, but returned many more times to the mountain and repeated this behaviour. A strange peace built between them, and the male began to bring proper offerings from his own horde – pieces of gold, armour to line the more vulnerable skin of her belly, or great, glittering gemstones. That is why in dragon courting, the males show their respect to their desired female by bowing their heads and offering treasures, food, peaceful passage through their land.

And that was the only reason why Eren could make himself move, then. It hurt to try, and when Eren managed to break out of his frozen posture his entire body wanted to collapse onto the ground beneath him. Somehow the brunet managed to keep himself from falling.

Slowly, he arranged himself on his knees. Already his heart beat like it might give out, but he wasn’t dead yet.

Eren ducked down to the ground as slowly as he could, head bowed low enough that his forehead touched the grass beneath him. The respectful pose would hopefully placate the hulking beast leering over his nest, still staring at him with those strange eyes.

The beast shifted, breaking out of its statue-like behaviour the moment Eren’s eyes were no longer on it. Eren tensed again, sensing treachery. He’d gone out on a limb, attempted something foolish, and he would no doubt pay the price. Dragons might strive for peace amongst themselves, but who knew what they thought of other creatures? For all he knew, Eren had just signed his death warrant by copying a custom he just barely knew about. He didn’t dare move, kept his careful pose, eyes squeezed shut. If he was to die, Eren would leave this world with the knowledge that he had not done so by knowingly insulting a dragon. There was an awful, grating shift of movement – scale against stone – and Eren almost felt the life drain out of him when he heard a great breath of air bring drawn in through a snout that had to be right above him.

“ _You’re in courting?_ ” Something like thunder formed words, shaking the air overhead.

Eren’s eyes widened, realisation settling in him.

What? _What?_ It was speaking to him. A dragon was speaking, like Eren wasn’t on the verge of having a heart attack. How did something that big even _manage_ to talk?

Eren couldn’t bring himself to look up and find out if the beast was physically speaking, or if it was some extraordinary trick of magic. He would never know, and it probably wouldn’t matter if he ended up as lizard chow.

The voice continued, so Eren did all he could do. He listened.

“ _If I’ve interrupted, I apologise. You won’t find a mate around these parts, I’m afraid. Most tend to be put off by draconic presence._ ” The voice paused for a moment, waiting for a response, perhaps? “ _Not you?_ ” It asked.

Oh no. There was at least an excuse of not responding to mere words, but a proper question could not be ignored.

A lot of work went into pushing out even the first, mangled syllables. He tried again, sensing that this may be his only chance at survival. It was slim, but it was a chance nonetheless.

“I-I”, Eren’s throat closed around his words and he had to swallow forcefully a few times, “I didn’t realise that you had taken up residency here. F-Forgive me, I beg you.”

“ _You didn’t know?_ ” The dragon sounded dubious, almost…amused. There was no way to tell. “ _Was it by some happy accident that you stumbled upon the coins I saw lying back there? Did they find their way into your nest of their own accord?_ ”

Eren winced, the movement painful thanks to his already tense muscles. He could have melted all the coins down into an unidentifiable lump and still this beast would have known that it was theirs. When it came to treasure, there was no fooling a dragon.

“I…found your cave.” Eren said, and he was finding it easier to speak. “The scent I found was years old; I swear I believed that the owner had moved on.”

He waited in terrible silence.

A rumbling hum sounded above him, a thoughtful noise. “ _Truth suits you better._ ” The beast said at last, pausing as if in consideration. “ _A few coins are of no consequence, but you did steal from me. How might I punish you..?_ ”

Eren bleated in worry, the sound beyond his control. He was too scared to feel any embarrassment, his eyes squeezed so tightly shut that he could almost imagine light behind his lids from the pressure.

“Please…” Was all that he could say.

Just a pathetic, whimpered plea for…for what? Frazzled as he was, Eren didn’t know what he was begging for anymore. Life, or a quick death even.

“ _You seem…unsettled._ ”

There was a sound like pine wood set aflame, crackling overhead, and the looming shadow over Eren vanished.

For a moment there was chilling silence. Eren shivered as flakes of snow settled on his skin, tiny shocks of cold that melted in an instant as they met his heated flesh.

And suddenly…

“Is this better, per chance?”

Eren stiffened further, his tense body protesting, as he heard a new voice. New and yet not so different. The thunderous volume was gone, but the curl of words were so similar to that beastly voice from mere moments ago. For a moment the phoenix didn’t dare to look up.

But then he did.

Teal eyes blew wide, and Eren felt his jaw drop in the wake of his surprise. It should have occurred to him that, as a fellow creature of magic, dragons would be just as capable of assuming a humanoid guise as others were. Eren was in his human form at that very moment and apparently the dragon had taken that as some sort of cue.

The smoke from its shift was still thick in their air, and yet Eren could see more than enough. The pallid skin, so different from pitch scales, and dark hair that was impossibly neat. Those eyes never changed, the same, unsettling white in both forms. Like stained glass, milky and smooth. No discernible pupils.

Eren never thought for a moment that this thing couldn’t see him. It was not impaired, not blind by any means. Those eyes, while seemingly vacant, tracked his every movement, twitch, and breath.

This form…such a vulnerable looking thing – Eren couldn’t believe that he was seeing it. A dragon taking on a lesser form.

To talk to him?

The question was why, and Eren couldn’t begin to think of an answer. He supposed that asking would be the best place to start, but Eren didn’t want to risk irking this creature. Just because it was playing nice for the moment did not mean that Eren was out of the woods. He couldn’t help but be distracted by the differences, the stark paleness of a revealed belly, not a scale marking the skin there. Despite the significance of having such a vulnerable spot bared, the dragon did not seem even a little unsettled.

Eren stared, transfixed. Scattered scales, identical in colour to the blackish-green of the beast’s true form, were littered over the raven in areas. Some very obvious differences in their anatomy were blatantly revealed in the tapering colour of skin from milky white to almost charcoal at the hands, feet, and the heavy cock that Eren couldn’t help but stare at for a moment. He came to terms with its presence and his intimidated feelings towards it.

When he met those white eyes again, Eren could have sworn they were amused with him. The expression hardly changed. The features of that face were stern, set in sharp angles.

Even in this disguise, this creature was beautiful, in no small way. He was magnificent even in this form.

It was…quite the transformation.

Those ashen feet padded nearer, just a fraction, and left many metres of space between them. When the dragon spoke again, its voice carried easily across that distance.

“Better, I asked?”

A thin brow was raised, calling Eren’s attention to a couple of flecks of scale near one of the dragon’s temples.

“B-Better.” Eren agreed, dismissing the distraction.

And it was much better. There was nowhere near as much dragon scent around now – the new scent heavily diluted, as Eren’s was, to prevent human tracking efforts. A trick to confuse their trained hounds.

Eren breathed in deep enough that it hurt his lungs, and let it all out in a relieved rush when he didn’t immediately tense up. This was bearable.

Strange, though.

Across the clearing, the raven took note of his state and deemed it better.

“Good.” It said, giving a single nod. “Now, what brings you here? What could have you so distracted as to be blind to the presence of something like myself?”

Eren held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “I…I apologise. I admit, I was distracted upon arriving.”

The dragon gave a hum, of interest or acknowledgement Eren was not sure. White eyes travelled over his form, some sort of silent understanding written there in that gaze. Hell, if this creature had been able to tell that Eren had been in his courting phase, then it could probably also figure out that he was nearing the time to lay.

Eren continued. “I can be on my way if…” he swallowed, “if you would permit me to do so?”

White eyes regarded Eren with an oddly focused stare. “If I was going to kill you, I would not have bothered to waste time changing to a lesser form.”

It gestured to itself, frowning.

The words were spoken somewhat harshly and maybe it was just the way this creature normally spoke but it did not help to persuade Eren’s fraying nerves to calm.

The brunet flexed his tail feathers out a little, shivering.

Across from him, the raven clicked his tongue. “Your anxiety is quite vexing.” He admitted. “I am only trying to make conversation.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but a moment ago I was about a hundred times smaller than you.”

The dragon blinked at him. “Did I not just rectify the situation?”

He gave another vague wave at himself. It was quite a helpless motion, Eren noticed. This creature was…really trying. For some reason this beast was putting in quite a lot of effort to appear non-threatening.

“You are cold.” It said then, and Eren nodded.

There was no use in denying it when he was beginning to shiver.

“Return to your nest. I can prepare better cover for you.”

And he did just that. Eren stood in place, snow mushy around his feet from the heat of him, and watched this human-shaped dragon march about the mountainside. He tore branches from trees without effort, dragging them back over to Eren’s eyrie and leaving trails through the light covering of snow. By the time the beast was done, there was a nice ceiling of thick branches arranged above Eren’s nest, wedged into the rock and ground above. They caught the snow, protecting the woven bedding of twigs and moss beneath.

Eren couldn’t believe his eyes.

“To the nest, I said.” The raven addressed him again, closer this time.

Eren flinched, staring at him. “You’re quite bossy, really.” He observed aloud.

The dragon snorted at him, amused. A little puff of smoke and heat escaped his nostrils with the sound.

“Don’t make me drag you over there. Our conversation is not over, and you cannot afford to be out in the cold, unsheltered in this manner. Think of the little ones.”

When Eren flinched again, it was not from the cold, or the proximity of a beast more dangerous than he was. He glowered at the whitening ground, marching over to his nest.

“There are none, yet.” He snapped.

Only once he was situated in his bedding did Eren consider the tone he had just taken with the dragon, not to mention how close said beast was to him now. They both took shelter beneath the protection of the branches.

Eren felt himself shaking again.

“I am sorry.” He apologised thickly, then offered. “My name is Eren, and you may as well know that in case this ends badly.”

Bitterness could just get him killed. Although…this dragon did not appear like it wanted him dead. It had even shown concern for his unborn. Not that it mattered – without a mate to contribute, there would be no hatchlings.

The dragon lazed out along one, raised side of the eyrie, making himself at home. Eren might have been annoyed by that, had he not been worrying himself silly.

“I suppose it would be polite for you to call me Levi, then.” The raven offered in return, after a quiet moment. “And you need not apologise; your sorrow requires no explanation. I should not have pried.”

For that, Eren was grateful. It was unpleasant to revisit those past pains, but Levi did not ask for validation for his grief.

“Why did you?” Eren asked. “Pry, I mean.”

He was curious now, even if asking questions only kept this threat around longer. This creature had returned to its territory, clearly after having been away for quite some time. Eren was an intruder. Levi could have just burned his nest, found the intruder and killed it. Instead he had descended, gazed at the phoenix’s careful handiwork.

And then, when Eren had returned, he had let him live. So far, at least.

Levi shrugged with one shoulder.

“I saw your nest in passing.” He said, glancing down at the intricately woven sticks and branches. He ran fingers along the edges. “You should be proud; the beading catches the light nicely.”

Eren fluffed up a little at that, an involuntary reaction to the praise. He preened the feathers back into place, hoping that his behaviour had gone unnoticed. Levi was not looking at him when Eren glanced up to check, but there was an amused little quirk to one side of its mouth.

Probably caught, then. The phoenix flushed a little, blaming the response on his frazzled instincts and courting urges.

He’d been waiting for a potential mate to arrive, and even though this creature was not of his kind it was still close to him. Complimenting his nesting efforts. Even letting him keep the coins he had come upon, which in and of itself was almost a gift. Had Levi been a phoenix, Eren would have accepted those coins as courting tokens.

The brunet shivered, mostly from the cold. He tucked his tail in closer.

“Not to seem…rude,” Eren swallowed thickly, half focused on trying to still his shaking limbs, “but yours is not the kind of…attention that I had intended to draw.”

If Levi was offended by the statement, he did not show it. The raven nodded, looking out past the nest and into the steadily accumulating snow.

“I assumed as much. I would have left you be, but I was not expecting any sort of…nesting activities to be underway when I returned.” Levi paused, and for a moment he looked helplessly sad. “The sight brought back memories. I had to take a moment to land, to let some of the past catch up with me, if you will.” He paused, gathering himself before speaking again. “It has been a long time since I last witnessed any sentient creature take up residence here. And I thought you should know what to expect…in terms of neighbours.”

“Neighbours.” Eren repeated, although the word escaped on a sound not unlike a laugh. “How thoughtful.”

“It was only fair to warn you; there is company here that your kin would not find welcoming.”

Eren could agree with that. “No indeed.”

“However, I sense that it is too late for you to leave safely.” Levi stated.

The words had not sounded particularly menacing, but Eren looked at the raven with wariness nonetheless.

“Are you referring to yourself?” He asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Dinner plans, perhaps?”

Levi had the gall to smirk at him, baring his teeth in a smile that sent shivers up Eren’s spine. He pressed himself back in his nest a little.

The raven huffed out an amused breath and shook his head. “You’re going to lay any day now.” He said. “I can smell it.”

“Oh.” Eren felt himself flush and blinked away.

It was true, but also very personal. Something not shared between strangers. The fact that Levi knew spoke a lot for the strength of his senses, or maybe he was an expert on phoenixes? Doubtful.

“I did not mean to offend, or cause you any discomfort.” The raven tried to amend, noting Eren’s silence.

The brunet shook his head, holding up a hand to stop the apology. “With senses like yours, I should not have been surprised.” He said, managing to meet the dragon’s gaze. “I don’t take offense.”

Levi searched him, looking for signs that he was just putting up a front. He seemed satisfied, though. Nodded, and sighed.

“I appreciate that. The customs of strangers are not often my business.” Levi admitted.

They were both floundering, at least. Eren smiled at that, wondering how he could feel anything but dread near this creature. The lesser form helped a lot. It was doing wonders for his instincts.

“I admit I only know a sliver of your own customs.” Eren said in turn.

“Enough to get you by, it would seem.” The raven smirked at him, arching an eyebrow. “Do you often court with dragons?”

The choice of phrase made Eren stiffen, and he wondered if his signs had been so obvious.

“I wasn’t…that’s not…” he stammered, floundering all over again.

It wasn’t like he could control them, and Levi probably had no idea he’d even been giving the phoenix that kind of impression.

He had to know now, however. Levi’s eyes widened a fraction, and he looked almost bashful.

“Have I offended?” He asked, holding Eren’s gaze. “Perhaps that was the wrong wording. Would you prefer ‘socialise’?”

Eren was quiet, ordering his thoughts. “I do not...socialise often with your kind, no.” He answered at last, face still warmer than it should be.

“And what will you do with your chance at such socialising now?” Levi continued, careful now. “Take your leave? Or perhaps, little birdie, you will remain and tell me about your loss.” He went on quickly at Eren’s almost angered look, the phoenix taken off guard. “It will be an equal sharing, I assure you. I feel the same sorrow in your heart that has plagued mine, though your anguish is far fresher.”

Eren thought about what Levi had said earlier, about triggered memories from the sight of a nest. About the past catching up to him, and the time he had taken to allow those memories to resurface.

“You…want to talk?” He asked, wondering if this dragon would indeed share its story.

Why it was alone, and sorrowful. Why it had bothered taking the time to talk with an intruder, instead of just killing him on sight.

“You can be on your way, if that is your wish.” Levi offered.

It was clear that he did not wish to make Eren feel pressured, which was ridiculous. He was the threat of the area. If he wanted to make Eren stay, he could threaten. Could have made the phoenix remain by force.

Instead he asked, and Eren couldn’t comprehend such a creature being so gentle. Levi’s size alone told Eren that he was old, but old enough to abhor violence? How long had this creature lived?

“You won’t kill me?” The brunet asked, although he was fairly certain he knew the answer by now.

“I have already eaten well today, and nothing could tempt me to tarnish such beauty.”

Eren felt himself flush for the third time in the spans of the same conversation. That had not been the response he had been expecting, even if it was technically an affirmative answer.

Levi would not kill him.

It barely made sense, but Eren wasn’t going to question anything that would keep him alive. He considered talking, and it seemed like it would be civil enough. He glanced up, still thinking, and got distracted by the roof of branches.

He frowned.

“Why did you make this?” Eren gestured upwards to the protective ceiling, checking to make sure that the raven saw what he meant. “I appreciate the effort, but I do not entirely understand it.”

The covering was doing wonders against the snow. Behind Eren’s nest, the cliff face prevented snow from being blown into his nest from that direction, and the new roof was catching the rest. Eren still felt the chill, but sitting there with a dragon of all things felt almost cosy. They both ran warmer than usual, which seemed odd considering that dragons should have been cold-blooded. Eren wasn’t sure about any of that, seeing how the raven appeared to be radiating heat beside him.

It was probable that it was just another convenience of magic.

Levi stared at the branches above them.

“I wanted to keep talking to you,” he said, “and I did not believe that you would be comfortable coming back to my lair.”

It was an honest and surprising answer, but it made sense. Eren would not have been able to relax at all with the scent of dragon all around, and one of them nearby. In the flesh. It was still tricky sitting next to one here, in the safety of his own nest. If Levi changed back, he would crush Eren before the brunet even got a chance to escape.

Levi stretched out instead, flexing clawed fingers and toes.

“A compromise, then?” Eren said. He smiled, just a small curve of his mouth. “I see. Thank you.”

The raven brushed off the thanks with a grunt, rolling onto one side atop the edge of the eyrie. It didn’t look particularly comfortable, but Levi had the advantage of scales protecting the softer skin of his sides so perhaps the poking sticks weren’t too much of a bother.

Levi sniffed, and Eren noticed as he stretched that there was no tail to his human form. Even Eren still had his tail. It only went away when he was in his most authentic mimic attempts, or if he paid special attention to concealing it.

He wondered what that tail would look like.

“It has been a long while since I have bothered to converse with any creature.” Levi admitted into the quiet. “I am not fond of words.”

Eren blinked at that, finding that the admission surprised him.

“I wouldn’t have guessed as much.” He said. “You have spoken quite a few of them.”

Levi seemed particularly talkative, but who knew how often he talked to other creatures outside of this experience. Maybe it was never.

“A rare occurrence, I assure you.” Levi said, confirming Eren’s suspicions.

The brunet found himself smiling. “More of a creature of action, are you?”

“Indeed.”

“Why do you dislike talking?”

Levi wrinkled his nose, as if in distaste or concentration. “I always have.” He said after a while, picking at a little twig with one, curved claw. “Speaking is the behaviour of humans, and they are the most wretched lifeforms to ever crawl across this earth. It wrongs me to copy them.”

Something hateful and wounded hid in that tone, in those words, and the curl of Levi’s lip.

Eren paused, feeling understanding wash over him. He knew the look in those eyes, the burden of sorrow. The sting of something lost, or in this case stolen at the hands of others. It was easy to recognise those who had been affected by the violence of humans.

“I did wonder how you knew that I was grieving.” Eren murmured, his eyes on his hands where they lay curled in his lap. He considered leaving the matter alone, but Levi had kept him talking for a reason. Perhaps this was the reason, this turn in their talking. “Was your loss very great?” He asked at last.

Silence enveloped them as Levi considered, sifting through memories from the look on his face. He let out a quiet exhale.

It was not a happy sound.

Eren almost wished that he could take the question back, for it made the raven look so lost.

“If you do not wish to talk about it, or remember, then I won’t make you.” The brunet said quietly.

Levi shook his head.

“Closure will be good.” The dragon said, probably more to himself than to Eren. “I will share gladly if you will.”

Eren realised that he was also being offered an opportunity to share his pain. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, the hurt still raw within him. Lost little ones, a shattered heart, and impossible anger.

The sun was setting, already lost behind the mountains. Soon it would set completely, and the mood was oddly perfect for storytelling. Even more so for the kind of stories that they were about to tell.

“You will have to forgive me,” Eren said carefully, aware of the tightness of his throat, “if I lose my composure.”

“There is no bravery in the face of this kind of loss. I do not expect it of you.”

“Very well.”

“It was my mate, and our unborn.” Levi began, the words spoken calmly like the raven had thought often of this story. Eren knew that was the case. “There hadn’t been any young for us in a while, since humans had begun crowding the surrounding land with their little colonies. These were the first we’d conceived here for years. Still in their eggs, frozen by their mother’s breath.” Levi said. “She had been in hibernation for a long while, conserving strength. I was away, looking for a new and safer land where we might raise our young. Somewhere far away from the plague of humanity. Humans became curious, came to check if this land was still claimed. There weren’t even bones by the time I returned. Just blood and flakes of crumbled eggshell.”

“Bastards.” Eren hissed, anger for his own family rising again.

“I must have set fire to every town nearby. Hunters know better than to come here, now. I made sure of that.” He said, unseeable ghosts in his eyes. “What of you? What did they take?”

Eren swallowed. His turn had arrived, and instantly a stab of pain made itself known in his chest.

“Hatchlings.” Eren said, before he could become too worked up to speak. “So young, still. I’d been so careful, but we were all hungry and I had no mate to help me. I had to hunt for all of us, and I was bringing back food, but my nest was empty when I arrived.”

He remembered the panic of finding his nest and no youngsters, the fearful hope that they would be nearby as he had called to them. The awful noise of his own cries, echoed back at him through the forest. He’d known when no answer came. The scent of man was thick in the air, and the cold knowledge that no matter how fast he flew, it was already too late.

Eren inhaled to calm himself, sniffling already.

“Following the hunters was a bad idea and I knew that.” He admitted, closing his eyes tight. A bead of wet heat was squeezed out, running a clean path down his face. “I shouldn’t have gone, should have known better. I’ll never forget…seeing them strung up like common pests. Just another ingredient in the next week’s soup.”

Eren knew that there was more to it than that. The feathers were all valuable, would be sold or made into gifts to woo lovers. Humans thought it was romantic, but behind their rare tokens of love there was death and agony.

“They were too young to regenerate?” Was all that Levi asked.

Eren gave a wet sniff, curling his arms around himself. “Not even old enough to fly.” He told the raven, hearing the understanding in Levi’s exhale. “I should never have left them alone.”

Something grasped his shoulder, and Eren stiffened.

“Don’t.” Levi said, not even giving the phoenix a chance to process that he was touching him. “They would have starved otherwise, or you would have been caught too. Better to survive, and have a chance to continue. Live, where they cannot.”

Eren stared at the hand on his shoulder for a long time, but it never left.

“Is that what you’ve come to understand?” He asked, when it became clear that Levi was waiting for him to say something.

“I have had a long time to think about it.” The raven replied.

Eren didn’t doubt it. The raven hadn’t been to this place, his home, for long enough that his scent had begun to fade. There was no scent of his previous mate, or the eggs. No stench of death. Levi had lived there until his scent overpowered their own. And then he had run. It was highly likely that he had been running from grief, or contemplating it, for a long, long time.

Was it coincidence that had brought the dragon back now? Or had he sensed thievery and come to investigate?

Eren suspected the latter. It was said that dragons were very attached to their treasure, so much so that they could tell when their horde was being pillaged. Even a single coin going missing would not go by unnoticed.

The phoenix hadn’t taken many, but Levi probably knew the exact moment he had picked up the first one.

“I hope I’ll find such peace in time.” Eren said, wiping at his face.

The hand on his shoulder left, and Eren tried to decide if he missed the contact or not.

He remained undecided.

“It was sooner for you.” Levi acknowledged with a solemn tilt of his head. “I am sorry. Your chicks feel no pain where they are now.”

Eren smiled at that, fighting back a fresh stinging in his eyes. “Thank you.”

It was quiet again between them, something knowing and strange. Eren thought about his little ones, and wondered if Levi was recalling the time with his mate.

“We’re miserable excuses of beasts, are we not?” Levi asked to the darkness.

That would be a yes to the sad memory dwelling, then.

Eren gave a breathy chuckle. “Indeed.”

They turned to each other in the same instant, eyes considering. Levi spoke first.

“You are good company.”

Eren felt like that was meant to be some kind of compliment, like the raven didn’t find many things tolerable.

“You’re not so terrible, when you’re not ordering me around.” Eren said back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 and its smutty conclusion will be along shortly, once I've stared at it for a while to make sure it doesn't suck.


	5. Unlikely Introductions pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, part two. Includes unlikely propositions, the ultimate trust fall, and some first-time smut for the boys.

It was well after dark, and they were still talking. Eren’s eyes worked to pick out traces of light until the moon rose enough to paint the ground in its pallid glow. It was only a gentle light, enough to make out Levi, though.

The raven perched himself with a quiet dignity, keeping an eye on everything. On Eren, on their surrounds.

Levi was a watchful creature, but then so was Eren. One tended to get that way once a lack of watchfulness had cost them before.

Eren got the feeling that Levi was really not a fan of chatter, even if he was putting in a lot of effort to keep up his half of the conversation. The raven gestured a lot, prone to expressive movement. He wanted to know all about Eren.

What he had been planning. Where he had stolen the rest of his trinkets from. Why he had travelled in this direction.

Eren’s answers were simple enough. He had been planning only to find a suitable place to nest in, but all the traditional spots were too well known by mankind. It wasn’t safe to raise young there from the beginning, so Eren had decided he would find a mate, and create his own favourable conditions. He had been considering moving into Levi’s cave, back when he had thought it to have been abandoned. From there he could have used the surrounding rock to help keep his eggs warm, although it would have been quite the effort on his part. Eren figured he would have needed to convince his new mate to stay with him, to help.

The phoenix had learned his lesson well. He would rather be dependent on another creature than risk leaving his unborn on their own again.

The trinkets were taken from a small village, the name of which Eren neither knew, nor cared to know. They had constructed markets and that was where humans usually kept their shiny things. There, or tucked away at home.

Eren had not planned to go into any homes. Unlike the humans, he was not a barbarian who blundered in uninvited.

“And didn’t you do just that when you stumbled across my lair?” Levi reminded him, smirking.

“That was different.” Eren bristled. “I had it on good authority that no one had been home in a very long time.”

“Whose authority?”

“My nose’s.”

In turn Eren asked a lot about dragons. It was only fair, after Levi’s rather personal queries into phoenix mating habits.

_How long does it take for eggs to form, once seed had taken?_

_Do you mate for life?_

_How many couplings does it usually take before you know you’re gravid?_

Eren had been more considerate with his line of questioning. For one, he was curious about why Levi only had a small horde of treasure, to which the answer had been that he didn’t need much.

Dragons that had not yet mated were the ones that preferred to gather more treasure. It was somewhat of a security blanket, should they decide to hibernate alone. They could burrow beneath their horde to escape notice and remain concealed from less sharp eyes. More often than not, females would exhibit this hording behaviour so that the weight of gold above them could replicate the protective weight of a mate, as paired dragons would slumber together with the male draped over the female. Another security blanket.

Levi and his mate had not been extreme treasure seekers. When they had travelled here to live, only a small portion of wealth was brought with them. Decorations, Levi called them. It had brightened up the cold stone with glittering yellow. But he and his mate had been content with each other. More vicious dragons were the type to have impossible hordes, and they had not been that violent or malicious breed of creature that hunted down other species like they were at war.

The raven had only behaved as such that one, awful time.

It had been enough to get his message across.

Their real treasure had been a budding family, until that had been taken. Levi had been left alone, and he had remained that way for a very long time. Crippled by grief, by anger that he was afraid to unleash after the carnage his last burst of rage had brought about. So he kept to himself, for years and years. The raven admitted that it was his own choice, that he had been angry and fearful of how he might have responded to the presence of other creatures. Levi had waited for his yearning to fade, along with anguish. It took time, and a lot of it. He needed distraction, so he travelled. Flew about the land, the world, to see how far humanity had stretched its reach. He had found safe places, untouched spots. Colonies of his kin in all shapes, colours, and temperaments. Shared tales of loss when he finally allowed himself to visit them, pleased that he was able to be peaceful. Many understood his pain, and it was good to be able to comfort, and be comforted in turn.

He had taken the time to revisit those memories of his mate, of a happier time. Every last moment, stored away forever. The good times, and those awful, awful times. Levi reflected on it all, until he could do so without breaking his own heart. Nothing could change what had happened, and he still had hold of all the good memories of his partnership.

Finally, he had found closure.

But Levi had always been restless. Until he had met his mate, one of the ice species, Levi had been almost constantly on the move.

“Peace had been nice.” Levi admitted. “It was strange to get going again, and I never completely left this place behind.”

Eren nodded as he listened. “That’s understandable. You’re attached to this place, it has emotional value to you.”

The brunet could relate, in his own way.

He had been on the run from death since hatching, even having to relocate with his mother and broodmates to a new nest only a few weeks after breaking free from their eggs. The phoenix was a hunted creature, sought after as a sign of wealth. Something to prove one’s skill in hunting and tracking. Eren’s kind were masters of evasion, but eventually there was nowhere left to run. Eventually they cornered you. Without the advantage of size, or the ability to breathe fire like Levi, Eren had been a creature of flight, since fighting meant setting himself on fire in the hopes of burning his enemies. And returning from that would leave him as a chick again. Not the most helpful of tactics.

Eren could understand fleeing, from danger and from pain. He had done both.

It had grown too risky to remain with his own kin for too long, lest hounds discover them. Solitude wasn’t ideal, but it was safer.

They had both led lonely lives of late, him and Levi both.

“Would you…consider staying?” Levi said suddenly, the words quite careful.

They had been sitting in silence for a little while now, just existing side by side. Staring out into the moonlit night, watching a slight breeze ruffle the trees on the mountain.

It was nice in an unnerving kind of way. Sitting with a once-perceived enemy, like they were on some kind of warped picnic.

But now Levi had posed a question, and the words startled Eren.

The dragon was watching him. He looked wary, prepared for rejection, and Eren wondered when Levi had ended up in his nest. Actually in it, folded carefully into a comfortable sitting position. Legs tucked beneath him. They were so close, it must have happened gradually as they talked. The feathers of Eren’s tail were curled around them both, and he hadn’t even been aware of doing that.

Levi wasn’t looking at him anymore, his eyes focused somewhere in the middle of tangled sticks. He was frowning.

Eren blinked, feeling dazed. “What?”

The raven looked troubled, but he forced himself to get his words out, like he was afraid of balking if he even thought of waiting.

“Bring your nest to my cave, live there away from danger. I can provide whatever protection you need, and I would do so gladly if it meant that you could raise your young in peace.”

The words were out fast, but steady. Levi was sure of what he was saying, even if he hadn’t been until the words had actually made it out of his mouth.

An offer of protection. A bizarre offer, coming from a fire-breathing carnivore.

Eren heard him out because it was all he could do until his brain caught up with the idea. He spotted flaws in Levi’s plan, like the fact that Eren couldn’t have any new hatchlings until he mated again. No other phoenix had passed this way in all the time he had been there, though. That wasn’t about to change, especially not now that the resident dragon had returned.

“But…I…none of my kin would…” Eren tried to say, still reeling from the shock of such an offer.

He had spent an afternoon and most of an evening sitting and talking with this creature, but at the end of the day they were still completely difference creatures. Levi should see him as prey, and yet he was inviting the phoenix to live in his territory. Like Eren hadn’t already stolen a tiny portion of his treasure, invaded his home, built a nest there without permission. The list went on.

“Consider it.” Was all that Levi said to him.

The words gave Eren pause, and he considered the proposition. Thought of how perilous it could be to live in the same lands as a dragon…but also how safe. Trade many dangers for just one.

Give up on the idea of a family…maybe try again when he could convince another of his kin to come here.

It was a long shot…but it would mean no more running.

Eren wet his lips before speaking, giving himself a moment to back out of what he was about to say. He said it anyway.

“If you would allow me to live, to remain here…I would stay as company.”

That would be acceptable, surely? They could be unlikely friends, like the lion and the lamb. It would be unheard of among both of their kind, but someone had to make strides. This could very well be the first steps to peace between their species.

Or it could get them both shunned. There was no knowing.

Levi visibly brightened at Eren’s words. He straightened, eyes widening.

“You wish to make your home here under my protection?” He asked, needing to be sure.

Seeing the raven so eager for Eren’s acceptance made the decision seem less difficult. He wanted to stay for those puppy eyes alone.

“It’s a strange feeling,” Eren said, “but I believe that this may be the safest place I have been to.”

Levi’s excitement faded for a moment and he was serious. “You would lose your clutch.” He warned, well aware that Eren would not be able to find a suitable partner in time to save the eggs he held.

Eren knew it too. “I know.” He said, less sad than he might have been before. There was no life in his eggs yet, would not be without a mate to help him, and so the sacrifice was less of life than it was of resources. “It is too late for them at any rate. I will have more time to prepare the next cycle.”

Being around Levi for even a short time had brought out a positive side in the brunet, and he found that he liked it. There would still be sorrow in him, a day or so would not cure him of that. But perhaps, with the distraction of company, Eren could grow used to the hurt.

Levi was quiet. He opened his mouth. Closed it again.

“And what would you say if I offered to help you bear a clutch?” The raven asked after a long moment.

Eren stared at him like the dragon had gone mad, his face heating up. “That…I…can’t imagine that you would joke about something like this.”

Levi was being completely serious. Suggesting a union. Between them. Despite the fear factor, the difference in their species, the fact that they had known each other for less than a day.

What was more ludicrous was that Eren was considering it. Couldn’t help it. Levi had made an offer and Eren’s courting instincts had him taking interest. His gaze flickered over the dragon, traitorously disobeying the brunet’s effort to hold Levi’s gaze.

“It would help, would it not?” Levi asked.

He looked so earnest, like he wasn’t even considering this for himself.

Eren was floundering. “I…I’m not…”

He had no idea what to say, struggling with panic and urges that he had never imagined would be directed at anyone or anything outside of his own species.

Levi continued, pressing his case. “If none of your kind will come here, and you wish to stay, then this could be of benefit to you?”

The answer was yes, yes if they were compatible. If it was even possible for the two of them to conceive, or if their parental instincts would clash.

A warmth in Eren’s body suggested that they would fit each other just fine.

“Yes..?” Eren allowed, confused. “But…I can’t even think of how…or why you would want this?”

Levi did not hesitate to talk on that issue. “I feel no desire to take another mate among my kind. I have travelled, met countless other dragons, and yet I returned here alone. There is nothing left in life for such a creature but eating and sleeping, then death.” He paused. “I could see myself protecting you. Perhaps, even, protecting a family.”

Those last words came out like an admission, like Levi hadn’t even been sure of that himself until he had said the thoughts aloud. And now they were concrete.

Something sure settled in the all-white gaze fixed on Eren, and the brunet exhaled helplessly.

“I don’t know what to make of you.” He confessed.

“Am I too strange for you?”

Eren sighed again, rubbing at his temples. “A dragon for a mate?” He managed to laugh. “What would my mother say?”

Levi shared a chuckle at that, and he leaned in closer. “We are both children of fire, are we not?” The raven said, low so that Eren had to strain to hear him. “What could possibly be the matter with such a union?”

Eren had an answer for that. “Our kin would consider us outcasts. I cannot imagine being welcomed among them.”

Levi just smirked at him. “Your kin may be too proud for progress, but I think you will find that dragons are more understanding than you know.”

The information sank in, and Eren had to take a moment. Everything was happening so quickly and the phoenix felt disoriented.

“Will you give me time to consider?” He asked finally.

The decision to be made was not a simple one, and Eren did not want to rush into anything. He needed to consider and think things through, weigh his options.

Beside him, Levi nodded. “If that is your wish.” He said, then paused and Eren got the feeling that he had narrowed his eyes. “Do not sneak off during the night if you are afraid. Tell me now if you are, and I will let you go. Insult me, and I will hunt you down.”

Eren laughed at the threat, despite knowing that it was completely serious. Something about it seemed so out of place after their evening of chatter.

“There is nowhere for me to go, should I even desire to run.” Eren assured the raven with a smile. “I will stay, and think about your offer. Thank you for not killing me.”

Levi stood to depart for his cave with a nod, turning before he stepped out into the darkness. “Thank you, for seeing more than a monster.”

 

Morning came sunny and cool, but Eren remained in his nest. He did not bother with breakfast, having put his mind on the task of deciding whether or not he would remain here.

The more Eren thought about it, the more appealing Levi’s offer became.

The world he lived in was perilous, and it got more so every day. On his own, there would always be some chance of danger, some possibility that there would be a threat that he alone could not compete with.

On the other hand, there was nothing in this world that could pose a threat to Levi while he was in good health, except for perhaps another dragon. Even then, Levi was old and enormous and with those traits came incredible strength and experience. Levi could defend himself from anything, Eren was sure of it. He had defended his mate until they had to separate. If Levi had been there that awful day the humans had found his sleeping dragoness then the raven would surely have defeated them all without gaining so much as a scratch.

There were other benefits, too.

If Eren accepted Levi as a mate, then the raven would take on certain duties. He would hunt for them both, which would leave Eren a lot more time and energy to tend to nest building, egg tending, and chick raising. Assuming that they got around to having any.

With such an offer dangled in front of him, Eren felt a sudden and desperate yearning for youngsters.

He would be safe in a bountiful land, with company and a mate to dote on him. Dragon males were the doting type – it was one of the few things Eren did know for sure about the species.

There were downsides, too.

No phoenix that Eren knew would be able to comprehend a decision to take on a dragon as a mate. Even as a friend. They were not friendly species. And, while Levi assured Eren that other dragons would understand their union, Eren was certain that even Levi’s kin would need some time to come to terms with such an odd partnership.

Those, however, seemed to be the only disadvantages. That and both their lack of cultural understanding. They could teach each other on the latter issue.

Eren worried himself about how mating could go. He was curious, and fearful, of what such an experience might be like with Levi. There wasn’t much chance of successfully breeding in their true forms due to their difference in size alone. In their human guises, it could be done. Probably.

Definitely, where Eren’s urges were concerned.

If they were compatible, though, Eren realised that they would be able to raise their young without having to travel to the traditional nesting sites. There would be no danger of being tracked, hunted, or even scorned by their kin. Eren would not have to deal with other nesting phoenixes, who might consider hybrid young as threats.

What would their young be like? Which of their genes would be dominant?

So many questions. None of them had Eren as concerned as he might have feared.

He thought about Levi, then, and the ways that this could benefit the dragon. He had asked for such simple things: company, to end his solitude, and the chance to try for a family with Eren if that otion was acceptable to the phoenix.

Levi would be able to protect Eren, and any hatchlings they might create. He would be able to provide a safe and well-hidden sanctuary, if they moved into his cave to live there permanently. He could create heat and, more extremely, fire at will. There would be no panic on Eren’s behalf of not being able to properly tend to his eggs. The raven would be able to keep them swelteringly warm.

The both of them would have a distraction from the pain of the past, and would no doubt make new and strange memories in the future.

It seemed like an odd but favourable idea.

Sometime around midday Levi came to his nest again. Humanoid, once again, in consideration of Eren’s nerves. He brought food with him, meat sliced into easily consumable strips, the evidence of the work on his bloodied hands and smears of red around his mouth.

Levi was not a clean eater, it would seem. The sight of him standing there, bare and blood-smeared, did strange things to Eren. He wanted to pull the raven down into his nest and clean him up with his own tongue.

Wanted Levi to groom him in turn, although it would probably be a nerve-wracking experience in reality.

The raven was prepared to leave immediately, only wanting to ensure that the phoenix had eaten. Levi was not rushing him into a decision, and something in that generosity made Eren’s choice easier.

“Wait a moment, would you?” He called after the departing dragon.

Levi stiffened as he was addressed, slinking back with a worried look. He was prepared for the worst, and the vulnerability in the stiff way he held himself made Eren want to hold him, even as another part of him balked at the idea.

The dragon was silent, just waiting.

“I was wondering how do dragons court?” Eren asked, looking at Levi through his lashes.

He wondered if the hint wouldn’t catch on as Levi stared at him with a confused little frown. Then his eyes widened and Eren could have sworn the raven practically buzzed with happiness. Eren smiled at him, watching Levi flounder momentarily as he hovered at the edge of the nest, unsure if he was allowed to enter.

Eren made room, pushing fluttering anxiety aside. He curled his tail around the both of them as Levi settled carefully, offering pieces of meat up on clawed fingers for Eren to take with his mouth. It seemed more significant if Eren thought about how male dragons were the providers, and Levi was trying to provide for him already. Eat, be strong, be healthy. A first step of courting, and Eren let himself be fed. He licked at bloodied fingers, careful of the sharp claws. It made Levi’s eyes widen before the lids lowered and he made a low sound, a kind of purr in his chest. Eren cleaned the raven up, testing his earlier desire, and found that he had to hold eye contact. He still had to keep an eye on Levi, something mistrustful lurking in him. Even if the dragon held perfectly still, even if he closed his eyes to ease the brunet’s nerves, it still helped to be watchful.

This would be their main issue, Eren decided. Learning to trust one another, and overcoming natural instinct.

Levi’s mouth was soft under Eren’s tongue as he worked blood off the skin, probably spending more time than was necessary lapping at those thin lips. They were quirked into a little smirk by the time Eren moved on and he chose not to acknowledge it.

He gave a protesting squawk when Levi surged forward, pushing him back into the moss that lined his nest. Eren stiffened, breathing harshly through his nose even as Levi waited and stroked his sides to calm him. Rumbled wordless apologies. Licked shaking fingers clean. He was just returning the favour, it was clear even through Eren’s alarm, but it took a long while for him to begin to relax under the press of Levi’s body.

The raven thrummed against him, something deep and pleased. His tongue was strange against Eren’s skin, efficient swipes that left flesh tingling in its wake.

The phoenix had a feeling that dragon saliva had some interesting properties.

Eren realised he was holding tight to Levi’s arms, gripping harder than he needed to, but he couldn’t make his fingers loosen their hold. He wasn’t chided for his grip, probably seeming tame as a kitten to the dragon.

He was nuzzled then, and opened his eyes to find a concerned white stare filling his vision.

“Are you alright?” Levi asked, forehead bumping Eren’s.

The brunet nodded, pulling in a few breaths to calm himself. There was no proper dragon scent about with Levi in this form, and that helped Eren to relax.

He gave a shaky smile, feathers fluttering briefly. “How exactly do we go about this?”

He hadn’t been fooling around when he had asked Levi how dragons courted. There was a proper way for the both of them, and they would no doubt have to compromise.

Levi smirked back at him, flicking out a dark tongue to lick at the brunet’s nose. “I suppose we shall discover some method of courting.” He murmured, on the same train of thought. “I am willing to learn if you are.”

Eren laughed. “I am willing, so long as you don’t turn me to ash should I step wrong down this path.”

The raven gave a snort. “It is unfamiliar ground for the both of us.” He said. “Forgiveness will be assumed. Although…I can think of one thing that will help.”

He seemed almost uncertain, thoughtful at the very least.

Eren swallowed. “What is it?”

 

They stood together at the top of the highest peak. It had taken a while to get there since Eren had not trusted himself not to panic if Levi took his dragon form again. So they had climbed. On the way, Levi had explained.

“When our kind have found a desired partner,” he had said, “there is a ritual that decides whether or not they are worthy. Usually it is the female that initiates this, but I will take the lead in our case.”

Eren nodded. “What must I do?”

“It is quite simple, but intense.”

“Tell me.”

“Freefall.” Levi let the word sink in. “We will fly to a great height, interlock, then allow ourselves to fall.” The raven turned to Eren, a solemn look on his face. “You must wait until the last moment to break away. It is our most crucial trust ritual.”

“Oh.” Eren had been surprised. “Isn’t that how you mate? In the skies? During freefall?”

Levi looked surprised for a moment, like he hadn’t expected Eren to know anything much about his culture. Then again, how secret could it be when you were going at it and all one had to do was look up?

“Some do.” Levi shrugged. “It’s a less passionate affair, since there is very limited time. That’s not what we’re doing here, Eren. Don’t overwhelm yourself.” He placed a hand on Eren’s shoulder. “All I expect is for you to hold on, and know when to let go.”

It sounded so simple when Levi said it.

“How am I to know?” Eren asked, unsure.

He had never just…let himself fall to the earth before. It seemed like a foolish habit to practice.

“Trust me.” Levi smiled a fraction as he said it. “You will either know, or you won’t. Don’t distract yourself with worry. Focus only on what you are feeling in the moment.”

Levi seemed so confident, like there was no way that Eren could fail. Like the task was simple.

“I may disappoint you.” Eren said, dismayed.

The raven sought his gaze, held it. “Will you try?”

With this, Levi’s instincts would be settled and the dragon would accept him in heart and mind as his new mate. It was a crucial step.

“I will.”

Standing at the summit, Eren marvelled at the icy winds and the fluffy clouds that stretched out below them. Eren’s skin prickled with awareness of just how high up they were. Normally he wouldn’t have been concerned, but soon he and a dragon would be in the skies.

Eren didn’t know how Levi planned for them to fly, since the brunet was certain he would flee from a dragon if they assumed their true forms.

He turned to ask, watching in silence instead as Levi breathed out a smoky breath. That crackling sound like a burning fire sounded again, and Levi shook himself out as black, leathery wings materialised out behind him. They were quite large, and Levi flexed them experimentally as he turned to give Eren an expectant glance.

A partial transformation, then. That would make sense. Eren had only flown that way a few times, usually preferring to make trips in his smaller, true form. He was lighter that way.

Levi held a hand out for him, taking such care when he held onto tanned fingers with his own, ever-mindful of claws. He watched Eren carefully as the phoenix focused on his own shift, his wings so different in this form than his true form. They were larger and heavy with the strength it would take to lift this body. Magnificent in their colouring, beautiful patterns of glittering gold and shimmering teal, almost changing in the light as he turned. Flexed his own wings, ruffling his feathers before reaching to preen them back into place. He had to let go of Levi to do so, and the raven watched him with an odd little smile as Eren beat his wings to test them. Stirred up a breeze to counter the wind around them.

There was a quiet, almost reverent moment that passed between them just before they took off, both of them standing close and reaching, touching each other’s wings in wonder. Resting their foreheads together, some silent hope going unsaid.

Levi was the first to take off, his eyes widening infinitesimally before he was gone, diving from the summit. He plunged below the cloud cover for a moment, gathering momentum before he came hurtling back up. The raven passed by in a rush that ruffled Eren’s feathers, and Levi gave a screech, taunting him, daring him to jump.

So Eren did.

His stomach dropped for a moment, and then Eren spread his wings to catch a current of air. It stopped his descent, and he managed to arc back up again. Beating his wings to get higher still, he made his own pace.

The both of them were working harder to fly in their human forms, so Levi wasn’t too difficult to catch. Their magic could help, but it would take some adjusting. Levi led the racing path upwards, flying higher and higher until Eren felt dizzy with it.

Blue stretched on around them, unending. An impossibly enormous dome.

Levi turned suddenly, jolting to a stop. He beat his wings to stay in place, and Eren had to slow to avoid crashing right into him. They paused, keeping place across from each other, and Eren took a look around.

This was the spot Levi chose.

Eren had a few moments to get his thoughts together, staring at Levi with all of the helplessness he felt. None of that worry was reflected in Levi’s gaze; he was confident, not just in himself but in Eren. This, a ritual usually used as a final step, would act as their first.

A brief and terrifying moment of bonding.

There was no way to see how far up they had come, since the clouds obscured any chance of seeing the ground. Still, Levi kept his eyes on that fluffy, grey layer like he could see right through it. Hell, he probably could.

The raven’s expression was calculating, and he seemed to judge that they were in an ideal position.

He extended a hand out to Eren and pulled when their fingers were linked. It was tricky to fly so close together, tangled up in each other and trying not to get their wings in each other’s way. That didn’t matter for long, for Levi squeezed Eren’s hand. A silent signal.

Eren stopped trying to keep himself up, and for a worrying moment it was just Levi’s wingbeats working to keep them in the air. The raven remained there for another few seconds, waiting until he had Eren’s undivided attention. The brunet wasn’t paying attention to how high up they were, more drawn by how effortlessly Levi was keeping them in their air. He had adjusted far quicker than Eren had, easily holding their combined weight without dipping out of place. The rhythm of his wingbeats was comforting, slow and constant, and Eren let the noise of it make everything else fade from his mind.

He wasn’t sure how long they had been looking at one another, but he knew the exact moment when Levi decided to let them drop. There was an odd energy to him, something almost tangible.

Then the wingbeats stopped, their rhythm ceasing.

Gravity did the rest.

The pull towards the ground was heady, and Eren was equally terrified and exhilarated by the roaring wind that howled in his ears with their rapid descent.

Falling was something like handing over control to chance.

They tumbled and spun in the air, wings tucked in close to avoid batting each other with them. Eren’s eyes were filled with stinging tears, but he could not shut them, held by white eyes that refused to shut also. And it was the same all the way, plummeting towards the earth and unable to look away.

Eren felt like they were falling forever, but at the same time it seemed like seconds before he could sense the ground coming. He waited.

There was a split second.

Levi’s eyes widened the smallest fraction and, just like he had said, Eren knew.

They broke away from each other, pushing off to get some space. Wings spread to glide rather than try to stop at such speed, they went arcing along the ground and back up into the sky. Eren let gravity slow him, trying to pull him back down, and he looked about for Levi once he was flying on the spot again. Lower to the ground, only a little way above the nearest treetops.

A dark shape was descending, Levi coming in to land nearby. Eren followed his lead, blood pounding, heart wild behind his ribs.

Levi practically pulled him from the sky the moment Eren was within reach, and as he was yanked down the brunet realised Levi was frantic. Rumbling approval, pulling Eren into a crushing hold. Nuzzling him wildly, and Eren realised he was being marked with scent.

“Did I-” Eren tried, cut off by another smothering brush from Levi, “are we-”

“ _You did wonderfully_.” Levi rasped at him, all heat and burning eyes.

Success; it was done. Eren hadn’t failed them.

“What happens now?”

“Can’t you feel it?”

Eren paused, thought about what he was feeling. The warmth in his body, shortness of breath that had as much to do with need as it did with the exhilaration of the fall.

“So soon?” Eren realised what it was that he wanted.

What was going to happen. Following the successful completion of the fall, the desire to mate took over.

“Calm down.” Levi assured him. “The hard part is over.”

Eren glanced between them and raised a brow. “Are you sure about that?”

The dragon chuckled at him, and tugged Eren closer.

Levi shocked him when he pushed their mouths together, licking his way past surprised lips. Curled his tongue around Eren’s, sliding. Levi’s tongue smothered Eren’s mouth with a warm sweetness. He didn’t relent until that taste was everywhere in the brunet’s mouth, and when he pulled back for them to take air Eren felt dizzy.

Then hot. Impossibly hot, inside and out, and he needed to know what Levi would feel like inside him regardless of whether they got down to business where they stood or back at the nest.

“Hold on.” Levi said, before Eren could kiss him again, and that decided that.

The dragon held tight to Eren and then they were taking off, Eren’s wings tucked close to his body while Levi flew for the mountains. Their wings melted away in unison the minute they touched down to the ground again, metres from Eren’s nest. Levi herded the phoenix back and he tumbled into the eyrie, cushioned by moss.

As Levi followed after him, Eren stared without shame at the proud jut of the dragon’s length. Dripping clear, viscous fluid, Levi’s cock was shiny with it. Not just precum, the whole length had wetted in response to Levi’s arousal.

Levi crawled into the nest, mouthing up Eren’s throat and claiming his mouth again. Dosed him with another heady kiss, and made to roll the brunet over.

Eren froze up. Couldn’t move until Levi coaxed him back, cursing his carelessness.

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t help it-” Eren stammered, cut off by his own gasped inhalation.

Panic, brief but intense. He stared at Levi, who watched him in turn, and decided that it would have to be this way. For now, he couldn’t leave the raven to wander about out of his sight.

Sensing Levi’s concern, Eren pulled him close.

“Do you mind, like this?”

Levi didn’t answer, just took his mouth again. Slid careful hands around Eren and pulled them flush together. He mouthed at Eren until the brunet was shaking, then flicked his tongue against plump lips – Eren could have sworn that tongue was longer than before.

He received a meaningful look before Levi slithered lower, kissed his way between trembling thighs, biting at the sensitive flesh. He teased at Eren’s entrance, licking at the puckered skin. Watched Eren fight to keep his eyes on the raven despite the embarrassment that coloured his face. Eren hissed when Levi pushed harder, broke through, and got to work. Whatever Levi was currently salivating, it was doing wonders. Eren wasn’t used to the kind of treatment he was being subjected to, as mating was usually a straightforward affair for his kind. They fitted together naturally, but Levi…it would take a little coaxing to get him inside and Eren was more than a little apprehensive.

But Levi was done with his toying, though he licked generously at Eren’s rim as it twitched when he left it empty. He crawled his way up Eren’s body, biting at his shoulder as he began to push in.

Eren thanked whatever aiding properties Levi’s saliva had during those first, slow moments of penetration. The girth was an unfamiliar obstacle and Eren let go of a few alarmed cries before he gave up and sank his teeth into Levi’s throat to silence himself. The raven was forgiving, crooning to him the whole time. There was no pain, per se. It was an overwhelming sensation nonetheless, and Eren felt dazed when he realised that Levi wasn’t pushing in anymore. He had bottomed out, licking calmly at Eren’s throat while he waited for the brunet to notice.

Levi hummed against his skin, amused, when Eren shifted his hips against him in experimentation. He hissed, white flashing behind his eyes when he squeezed them shut at the sudden overload of sensation. Levi chuckled at him and got a smack to the thigh for it.

Long moments were spent adjusting, and Eren wasn’t really ready when Levi started moving but he’d encouraged the raven to begin. Levi let Eren breath harshly and tip his head back, let the brunet cope with what he was feeling and trusted him to say something if it was too much.

It was more than he was used to, that much was obvious.

Eren had his eyes shut almost constantly, his head thrown back and mouth open to breathe and cry out. Half the sounds he made could have almost been words, but they weren’t any words that Levi was familiar with. At some point breathing and moaning had become the same thing for the phoenix, and Levi might have been concerned had Eren not been holding onto him so tightly, jolting up in surprise at times. His eyes locking onto Levi’s, wide and teary, chest heaving. Shaking like he might die, couldn’t decide if he wanted to stop or continue.

He never made a signal to stop, though, so they didn’t.

The pace barely changed, for Eren’s sake. Anything more and the brunet’s cries started to grow worryingly high-pitched, and Levi thought it was better to be safe than sorry. There would be time for Eren to adjust to this, but for now Levi would go easy on him.

The both of them were littered with each other’s teeth marks by the time Levi finally finished inside of Eren, the brunet’s stomach a mess of his own climaxes. Eren had counted at least two peaks, although there may have been more. He didn’t know, and didn’t ask, just yelped as Levi jerked into him, throbbing. He growled as he came, and Eren might have shrunk back if he could move.

But he was boneless, spent, and could do nothing but stare and try to remember to breathe as Levi filled him, snarling and staring him down.

Growling faded gradually to a purr, and Levi managed not to slump over Eren. He held himself up, catching his breath, and arched a brow at the phoenix blinking blearily back at him.

“Okay?” Levi asked.

It was not what Eren might have expected their first words after their first mating to be. He laughed and it made him tense, the amusement trailing into an almost alarmed moan.

Eren made a helpless expression when Levi snickered down at him.

“I d-don’t think I can do that again…” Eren said, sounding wrecked to his own ears, “…not for a c-couple of weeks at least.”

Levi laughed at him for that and Eren pouted. The little sulky frown was coaxed away by fond nuzzling, Levi determined not to have his new mate disheartened after their first coupling.

The raven brushed gentle fingers over Eren’s mouth. “There will be plenty of time to practice.” He assured Eren.

“Oh you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Eren glared weakly, but he allowed Levi to nuzzle him again.

“I would.” The raven murmured low, smirking down at him. “Passion suits you.”

Eren flushed, lying in pouting silence while Levi fussed over him, amused for the most part.

“What a strange life we do lead.” The phoenix huffed.

Levi inclined his head like he might have shrugged had he not been holding himself up. “Strangers together? That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Eren had to agree.

“You know what?” He asked, reaching up a careful hand to cup Levi’s face. “It’s not the burden I feared it would be.”

Levi turned his head enough to kiss Eren’s palm, eyeing him still.

“You’re an acceptable mate, Eren.”

Eren smiled at him for that, grateful for the admission. He stretched up to kiss Levi’s jaw, wondering at the peculiarity of being so intimate with a creature that should be his natural enemy.

“You’re not so bad, you big brute.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love this pairing. And this AU.
> 
> And with that, Eternal Ember is finally done ^_^ let me know what you think, sorry for any angst (that stuff happens on its own), and prepare yourselves for some demon fic updates in the near future.


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